


His Feathers

by Berryberryblitz



Series: Berry's Long MK/DC Books [1]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Akako scares kaito, Angst, Baaya is epic, Bromance, Confusion, Cults, Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fear, Fluff, Hakuba is confused, Hakukai, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Kaito can heal people, Kaito is panicking, M/M, Magical gems, Non-Consensual Drug Use, PTSD, Poor Kaito, Recovery, Romance, Sagukai, Sedation, Slow Build, Trust, Understanding, Wings, faith - Freeform, happiness, hurt kaito, kaito gets magic, kaito has wings, kaito isn’t doing so well, non sexual egg laying, non-consensual touching (Non-Sexual), protect kaito!, scared kaito, scientists - Freeform, worried hakuba
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2020-05-12 22:42:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 95
Words: 97,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19238566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Berryberryblitz/pseuds/Berryberryblitz
Summary: Due to an unfortunate encounter with a magical gem, Kaito grows wings. Deep black ones.Humans don't have wings, fearful of being experimented on or captured by a cult, he hides them. Even from his mother.He hates his wings.Kaito's strange behaviour attracts a certain detective's attention.[Pre-Written]Original and more updated version is on WATTPAD under my name Berryberryblitz





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is so glitchy on my phone >.< can’t underline or use italics...  
> ‘Thoughts’  
> “Speaking”
> 
> Original version on Wattpad under my profile of Berryberryblitz
> 
> Will update this but it will always be a little behind Wattpad version since Wattpad is phone friendly~

' _ I'm so tired _ ...'

The magician let out a soft, weary sigh as he fingered the gem in his pocket. It was a large white diamond, cut into the shape of a star, it's colour alone making it an unlikely pandora candidate. Thankfully his black clad stalkers hadn't shown up.

The gem was called the Shining Star, and had only recently become unearthed from some newly discovered underground ruins in Finland. It was said to have the ability to take the worthy to the heavens.

Pulling the Shooting Star out of his pocket, he held it up towards the light of the full moon, sighing when no red light emitted from the gem. "Another miss" The thief breathed, he couldn't help the disappointment despite knowing that the odds were slip.

' _ Now to return it to Nakamori-Keibu, maybe I'll put it in his shoe _ '

Indigos suddenly narrowed when the gem began to turn black. "What th—" His voice cut off when the gem suddenly shattered into glittering black dust before blowing away in the wind.

The phantom thief stood frozen in place for a few moments before sighing. Now he had to create a convincing fake so that Kid's name didn't get tarnished even more. He highly doubted that the police would accept a note stating that he managed to lose the gem.

Today just wasn't his day it seemed, he had woken up late, having to miss breakfast in order to arrive at school on time. Then he had actually got hit by Aoko's mop, it had come in from his blind spot and he hadn't yet done anything to provoke her. It seemed as if she was still angry from him breaking into the girl's locker room the other day, he never peaked, only unlocked the door.

_ 'I don't want to go to school tomorrow _ ...'

The thief swiftly shed his work clothes in favour of his normal clothes, knowing that nobody was around to see Kaitou Kid turn into Kuroba Kaito. He gave his upper back a quick scratch, it had suddenly began to itch.

As he made his way home, the faint itching sensation had begun to slowly turn into a faint burning instead. "Did I get anything on me?" Kaito mused silently to himself, knowing that he wasn't allergic to anything.

*

Kaito grit his teeth, stopping himself from moaning in pain as he hauled himself through his bedroom window, grateful that his mother wasn't home.

He was on fire, his back felt as if he was burning, his whole body, a feverish red, sweat plastering his hair to his head.

' _ So hot... I can't _ ...'

He swiftly threw off his shirt and pants before collapsing onto his bed, breaths long and heavy in a futile attempt to cool down. He faintly contemplated the shower, but when he tried to get up his vision blurred resulting in him face planting back onto his bed.

Kaito clenched his bedsheets tightly in his fingers as he tried to steady his breathing, the burning sensation was still growing. His blurring vision sending a wave of panic to him.

_ 'I'm dying... I have to be... Must have been poisoned somehow _ ...'

His last thoughts were of searing pain and death as the magician slipped into unconsciousness.

*

A low whine escaped from Kaito as he regained consciousness, everything hurt. He felt extremely weak as he carefully shifted himself up into a sitting position. When he opened his eyes, he couldn't help the startled yelp as he saw the blood that coated his bed.

_ 'Where did that come from?! I'm pretty sure I wasn't shot _ ...'

He looked down at himself and grimaced, almost his whole body was covered in blood. The faint sound of feathers ruffling made him glance around, expecting to see one of his many doves, only to freeze when he saw them.

_ 'Oh gods _ ...'

He had wings, pitch black wings were attached to him, heart hammering in his chest, he thought of moving them, only to jump when they actually moved.

' _ They're real _ ....'

Numbly, he spread out his wings, wanting to see the length of his  _ wingspan _ . When they were fully spread, it seemed that each wing was approximately two meters long, making his full wingspan four meters.

Kaito closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, quickly slapping on a poker face as he examined his new appendages. He couldn't go out with wings, there would be so many questions, ones that he didn't want to answer. If it wasn't questions then there would most likely be tests, people loved to study the unknown, and wings were something that a lot of humanity had dreamed of obtaining.

He was just a high schooler, they disappear all the time. Someone claiming it to be for the good of humanity may try and experiment on him, with hopes of duplicating his condition.

He felt his wings tremble and forcefully stilled them, it seemed like he'd need to practice moving them to prevent them from giving away his feelings.

_ 'I can't tell anyone, not even mom. I already worry her enough whenever I go out as Kid _ '

With a sigh he slid off of the bed onto his feet, he needed to clean up and find a way to hide his wings before Aoko came barging in like she often did. He magicked the bloody bed sheet away, replacing it with a clean one in a puff of smoke.

With a glance towards his wings, the brunette contemplated how he would go about showering. He had a feeling that water logged wings wouldn't be good, knowing from experience with his doves that wings can take forever to dry. He didn't have time to experiment how waterproofed his wings were.

*

In the end, he decided not to risk waterlogging himself and cleaned his body with a warm cloth and soap, dunking his head in a bucket multiple times to rinse the shampoo out of his hair. It wasn't pleasant, but it worked. Now he just had to figure out how to hide his wings under his clothes. 


	2. A Detective’s Worry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘Thoughts’  
> “Speaking”
> 
> _____

_ 'Kuroba is late _ '

Golden eyes narrowed as he glanced at the classroom door. There had been a Kid heist the previous night but he hadn't noticed any trouble. Instead, the heist had been embarrassingly easy for the white clad thief, Hakuba was thankfully not sporting a new hair colour, instead he had been bathed in glitter. Unfortunately, glitter could get everywhere, and always reappeared when it was thought to finally be gone.

_ 'Did he get hurt somehow _ ?'

The blond was worried, Kaito had come to school plenty of times when Kid had been visibly injured during the previous night's heist. He'd even come to school after being  _ shot _ , a memory which Saguru didn't like to think back on. Kaito had been pale and lethargic for days.

He didn't like the prank loving magician, but he didn't want the teen dead. Kaito was many things, a prankster, thief, magician, genius, chemist, and acrobat. Yet he wasn't a bad person, just someone he often wanted to strangle.

Saguru shivered at the prospect of an injury that would keep the energetic magician from going to school. Kid couldn't go to a hospital, Saguru had seen the shadows shooting at him and the hospital would be a death sentence. Being caught was one as well.

Kid had to have someone with medical knowledge helping him, the blond didn't like to think otherwise. The magician couldn't path himself up if he lost too much blood.

*

When lunch break came around, the blond's nerves were frazzled from worry. He glanced over towards Nakamori Aoko, Kaito's childhood friend. She seemed to be more annoyed than concerned.

"Nakamori-san, do you know why Kuroba isn't at school today?" Saguru asked, approaching the girl's desk.

_ 'If he's sick then Nakamori-san would have been informed, though maybe not... They seem to have drifted apart recently. No doubt because of Kuroba's moonlight persona _ '

The blue eyed girl blinked at him in surprise before an annoyed scowl crossed over her face. "Aoko waited for Bakaito at his door but he didn't answer. He changed his lock so to keep me out so he's probably skipping" Aoko replied, taking a quick bite of her rice after she finished.

' _ He changed his lock, so something happened. Bad enough that he wanted to keep Nakamori-san out, Kuroba isn't afraid of her mop wielding _ '

"Thank you Nakamori-san" Saguru gave a polite nod before heading back towards his desk. He was going to visit Kaito after school, hopefully Aoko wouldn't tag along, the magician seemed more closed off around her when it came to injuries.

He dearly wanted Aoko's conclusion to be true, but he knew better than that.

*

The school day had been stressful, as soon as it ended he called Baaya, having her drive him towards Kaito's residence. This way he'd arrive before Nakamori-san returned to her house and could remain unseen by the girl.

It was annoying that Kaito and Aoko were neighbours. It had often in the past stopped him from pestering the magician, before he realized the thief's danger.

Now he only accused Kaito in private, where dangerous ears couldn't listen in.

When he arrived, he thanked Baaya before heading up the steps of the Kuroba residence before knocking on the door.

_ 'I know Kuroba's home, the lights are on and it's unlikely that his mother is around _ '

After hearing no response after exactly one minute, he knocked once more, this time more loudly. He repeated this process, each time knocking louder until he heard slow, heavy steps on stairs.

' _ Kuroba's walking louder than usual _ '

He heard the click of the lock before the door swung open, revealing a sky blue pyjama clad Kaito. "What do you want Hakubastard?" The magician groaned, Saguru opened his mouth to respond but his words were lost. Kaito looked  _ horrible _ , the boy's complexion was chalk white and he looked as if he suddenly lost a lot of weight overnight. Kaito didn't have much fat to begin with but now he looked as if he had absolutely no fat stores. His muscles were visible, thankfully stopping the magician from looking anorexic. "Well?" Kaito drawled when Saguru hadn't answered.

' _ What could have happened overnight? People don't lose weight that fast _ '

"I— My apologies Kuroba, I was concerned about your health. It is not like you to miss school" Saguru replied softly, knowing that mentioning Kid would get the door slammed in his face.

The brunette raised a sarcastic brow, not believing in the other's words. "What are you really here for?" Kaito sighed, stopping himself from using the doorframe as support.

The detective pinched his brow. "It's actually the truth, almost nothing keeps you away from school" Saguru stated, his gaze noting how the brunette's legs were trembling.

_ 'He seems as if he can barely stand _ '

Curious indigos studied the detective before Kaito let out an annoyed huff. "I doubt you'll leave until you've satisfied your accusations" The magician sighed before glancing over towards Aoko's house. "Come in before Ahoko arrives, I'd rather deal with you than both of you" Kaito's voice soft as he stepped out of the way, waving his hand in a motion for the blond to enter.

"Thank you, sorry for the intrusion Kuroba" Saguru nodded, stepping through the doorway before removing his shoes. Kaito scoffed and walked over towards the living room, the detective trailing behind.

' _ He's walking differently, though he doesn't seem to be favouring a leg and his arms are moving fine... A torso wound _ ?'

"Why would you be concerned about me?" Kaito questioned once the two of them were sitting down; Kaito on the couch, Saguru on a chair.

The detective noted how Kaito was lounging on his stomach rather than his back as he usually did. "We may not get along most of the time, but I don't hate you. As much as it pains me to say it, you're not a bad person" Saguru sighed, knowing that Kaito's  scepticism wasn't baseless.

_ 'His back must be injured _ ' 


	3. House Visit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a chromebook so I fixed the format on the previous chapters~
> 
> ______________________________________________________

_ 'I wish Hakuba could have not been his nosy self for once in his life _ '

Kaito couldn't breathe right, he had used one of his self made corsets that reached the top of his shoulder blades to completely crush his wings against his back. Every breath felt strained against the material's hold. On top of that his wings were in agony, he just knew that the bones in them were broken. That didn't matter though, he'd dealt with broken bones before and he didn't need nor want wings.

Indigos gazed into the blond's golden eyes, reading the detective. Saguru's concern actually seemed to be completely genuine for once, a fact that the brunette wasn't sure he knew how to deal with.

"Really?" The magician questioned, skepticism lacing his words. He magicked a deck of cards and began to do the simple card tricks that he could do while laying on his stomach. "From the way you always avoid me, I'd say you hated me" Kaito mused, eyes focusing on his tricks, the distraction took some of the edge off of his pain.

_ 'Though ever since the presence of snipers became known by the police, he has stopped publicly accusing me _ .  _ Which is good, I don't want any more connections to Kid for Snake to notice _ '

"That is because with you around, I never know when I'll suddenly be sporting a new hair colour" Saguru drawled, mildly impressed by the magician's card tricks. He didn't usually have the luxury of just observing the other's tricks. "But when you're not being a lunatic your presence is tolerable" He added, Kaito was a useful person to have around, when said person wasn't causing problems.

_ 'My wings are feeling numb... it's weird _ '

"Awww Haku-chan doesn't hate me" The magician cooed, batting his eyes innocently.

"Please don't do that Kuroba, it's highly disturbing when you attempt to act innocent. Everyone knows that you're anything but" Saguru grimaced before quickly adding. "And no, I'm not referring to Kid, so there is no need to blow up on me" Kaito closed his mouth, he had previously opened it to defend himself from accusations.

' _ So tired _ ...'

"Well on to the main subject, as you can see, I'm not dying" Kaito added, wanting to speed up the conversation so that he could just rest.

The blond shook his head, slowly reaching over towards the brunette who had stilled his tricks. Too tired to move away, Kaito settled for a suspicious glare as Saguru gently took hold of his wrist. "You're much thinner than you were yesterday, and you're trembling. I can't see the trembling, but I can feel it" Kaito tried to tug his hand away but the detective's grip was too strong. "And you're also weak, I know that you'd normally be able to get away" Saguru concluded, concern growing at the weak, but steady pulse.

_ 'Detectives... Always detecting _ ...'

Indigos narrowed, a firm frown on the magician's face as he looked away. "I'm fine Hakubastard" He growled, seriously regretting letting the blond in. He'd overestimated himself, he hadn't really thought about how Saguru was a competent detective since he was so used to fooling him. He blamed the blood loss for making him unable to think straight.

' _ I don't even have the strength to kick him out. I've got to make him leave on his own _ '

The blond pursed his lips, Kaito seemed to be losing energy fast. He wondered if the magician knew that his poker face was crumbling swiftly as the conversation continued. "Then please answer this question, for my own sake of mind if nothing else" Saguru let out a breath before continuing. "Will you recover well from your illness?" His voice soft as he held onto the boy's pulse point on the wrist.

' _ What sort of question is that _ ?'

"Of course! Everything's fine. I'll get better in no time" Kaito's teased, rolling his eyes at the other's words, missing how fear flashed over Saguru's face briefly. "You're acting all weird today, are you sure you're not the one who is ill?" Kaito laughed, holding back a wince, knowing that the detective would be highly alarmed if he showed visible pain. Sometimes being known for one's poker face was a pain.

_ 'Okay, laughing bad when binding wings _ '

"I see..." Saguru trailed off before releasing the younger's wrist. "I'm sorry for intruding Kuroba, it was a relief to know that you're not too unwell" The blond replied, standing up from his seat.

_ 'Ah finally leaving, I can go back to resting soon' _

Kaito gave a lazy wave towards the door, he knew that refuting the possibility of him being sick wouldn't work. He knew he looked horrible and to deny so would raise suspicion. "You can see yourself out Hakuba! Don't let Ahoko in if you see her, the door locks automatically" The brunette replied, making no move to follow the other out, he had no need to be polite to Saguru.

' _ Hurry up and leave, the pain medication is wearing off _ ...'

Knowing that he was no longer welcome, or at least was now less welcome than before, Saguru left the magician's residence. Heart heavy with concern, the magician's pulse had risen when he said he'd be fine. Which meant the trickster had lied, or didn't believe he'd be okay.

Kaito let out a soft whine once he was completely sure Saguru wasn't in hearing range. He needed more pain meds, but he didn't think he could get up to get them. He let out a short whistle and Tsuki, one of his younger doves flew over. "Hey Tsuki, can you get me pain meds?" Kaito asked, giving the girl a few nice scratches on her chest before she took off.

After a minute, Tsuki came back with a pill bottle hanging from a string in her mouth. He loved his doves, he didn't know how people could live without them. "Thank you Tsuki" The magician chuckled after taking two aspirin, he then gave her a few dove treats as he waited for the medication to kick in.


	4. Contemplation

_ 'I need to get rid of my wings, I don't think I'd be able to do a heist with them bound _ '

The pain medication didn't seem to be working, that or he was in so much pain that he didn't notice that it has kicked in. Either way, he was still in a lot of pain. He hoped that his fatigue was caused by his change and would disappear soon.

' _ I'm pretty sure Hakuba thinks I was injured at last night's heist. Hopefully I'll recover from the blood loss enough by tomorrow that I'll just be skinny _ '

The magician was sorely tempted to let his wings free of their bindings, if only to relieve the pressure for a bit. Shaking his head, he ended that thought, it'd only hurt more when he had to rebind them.

' _ Maybe if I collect enough of my blood over time, I can just cut them off. I'd have the blood put into an IV so that I wouldn't bleed out as I patched myself up _ ...'

Kaito frowned, he didn't like the idea of cutting off his own limbs, even if he wasn't even supposed to have them.

' _ But collecting blood safely takes a while... And I'm most likely already suffering from blood loss. It'd take too long, I don't want to steal blood from the blood bank, too risky _ '

If someone died from there not being enough of Kaito's blood type in the bank, he didn't think he'd ever be able to forgive himself.

The rumbling of his stomach snapped the brunette out of his thoughts, he glanced over towards the kitchen. He'd been too busy preparing for the heist that he'd skipped supper, and his fatigue had made him skip both breakfast and lunch, now it was a little past 4pm.

' _ I'll recover faster if I eat _ ...'

With great reluctance Kaito slid off of the couch, legs shaking under his weight. Determined, he made his way slowly towards the kitchen and pulled out a box of cereal. He didn't have the energy to try cooking, and bravado wasn't worth accidentally falling face first into a frying pan.

*

Saguru was deeply concerned for his classmate. Kaito want one to feel fear often, which meant that the teen was not okay. Either Kaito was actually seriously ill or injured, or he believed that he wouldn't be okay. Saguru didn't like either possibilities. Kaito was Kaitou Kid, he  _ knew _ that he was, for the illustrious thief to doubt his condition or be seriously ill seemed wrong. He knew he was human, it's just that the other seemed so surreal sometimes.

_ 'I pray that he'll be in class tomorrow and that I'm just reading into things too much _ '

Saguru let out a soft sigh, lowering his fork. "Is the meal not to your liking young master?" Baaya questioned, the blond blinked in surprise before giving his housekeeper a small smile.

"No, it's great, I'm just worried about a classmate" Saguru replied softly.

"By any chance, is this classmate that Kuroba boy that you visited today?" Baaya queried.

"Yes, he's really ill, but we're not close enough for him to trust me" Saguru sighed, he really either that the trickster wasn't so likeable, it'd be so much easier if he hated Kaito.

"I thought you two were close, you're always ranting about him" Baaya replied, taking Saguru's meal away since the blond seemed to be finished with it.

Golden eyes widened in shock as he gasped at his caretaker. "You can't be serious? Kuroba is always messing with me and changing my hair colour. In addition, he is my primary suspect for Kaitou Kid!" Saguru whined, not willing to raise his voice against her.

_ 'I couldn't possibly be close to him _ !'

Baaya gave him a soft smile before patting him on the shoulder. "That boy is the only person you ever really talk about, and from what I've heard from you, he doesn't seem to let others close. The fact that he actually interacts with you personally should have clued you in." She paused to let her words sink in before continuing. "You say he's always teasing his friend Nakamori-san, isn't he teasing you in a similar fashion but in different ways? That Kuroba boy is the closest you have to a friend, you both just haven't acknowledged it" Baaya finished, smiling wryly at her young master's expression.

' _ Impossible... but it's true that he usually only interacts with others superficially... Except with me and Nakamori-san _ '

"I don't think a friendship would work out between us Baaya, he's Kaitou Kid" Saguru sighed, even if he wanted to be friends with the thief he probably wouldn't be accepted. He knew he wasn't very likeable and him accusing Kaito in public had probably earned him a lot of negative points. Anyone would be angry if they were being openly accused of a phantom thief that had snipers on his trail.

' _ If the wrong people heard and listened to my accusations... I could have gotten Kuroba killed _ '

"And Kaitou Kid is a good person, he saves people and does his best to make others smile. He never truly steals" Baaya countered, crossing her arms. She wanted Saguru to have a true friend, she didn't care if that friend was a harmless international jewel thief.

"He doesn't trust me Baaya, I used to openly accuse him of being Kid. That could have gotten him killed" The blond sighed, his heart always clenched whenever he thought about that.

"You used to, by those words it means that you don't anymore. From your stories I know that boy is smart which means he has realized why you've stopped" Saguru shook his head, a headache setting in.

"How could I possibly manage to earn his trust? He's ill and would think that I'm trying to take advantage of that fact to gain evidence against him" Saguru voice frustrates as he ran a hand through his hair.

_ 'Why'd you have to say something Baaya... Now thinking about it, Kuroba would be a good friend to have... He's annoying, but he's not the type to grossly abuse relationships _ '

Baaya hid her smile by turning away, it seemed as if she had nurtured good thoughts in Saguru.


	5. Chapter 5

He was dizzy, he'd managed to crawl up the stairs to his room after eating a few bowls of cereal. He wanted to free his wings, he'd lost most of the feeling in them and now they were at the state of perpetual pins and needles. Kaito knew that crushing them wasn't a good idea, if he left them how they were the bones would heal wrong. His wings would be useless.

_ 'I have my hang glider, plus they won't be around long enough to matter _ '

Pained tears prickled at the corners of his eyes, he just wanted it to stop. He couldn't even be Kuroba Kaito with his wings, he'd break his ribs doing his normal acrobatics.

_ 'Maybe I could break my wings until they weren't so restricting? If the bone fragments were small enough I could just bunch them up looser to my back and just pluck away the feathers _ ...  _ Then I could cut them off but by bit _ '

With this in mind, the magician sat up in his bed, closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall backwards. The sudden rush of pain made the teen's mouth open in a silent scream, indigos clenched shut. His whole body trembling as his nerves continued to send pain signals throughout his body.

The trickster lay there panting, unable to move, all he could do was lay still until the pained haze subsided.

_ 'I don't want to do that again _ ...'

His face was stained with tears, he hadn't expected his wings to be so sensitive. Getting shot in the stomach during one of his previous heists had hurt less. Kaito wasn't ashamed of his tears as he wiped them away with his sleeve, he wasn't performing and his dad had said that crying was important.

_ 'But I need to... I need to find Pandora _ ...  _ No matter how much it hurts, I can't give up _ '

The teen took in a shaky breath before clenching his teeth, his whole body quaking as he slowly sat up.

' _ To live as both Kaitou Kid and Kuroba Kaito _ ...'

Kaito bit his lip, not noticing the blood dripping down his chin before letting himself fall back down. The last thing he felt was searing pain before unconsciousness overtook him.

*

Saguru wasn't able to fall asleep, Baaya's words kept repeating through his mind. He wanted the thief to trust him, he wanted to know why the seemingly happy go lucky magician was risking his life stealing jewels that he didn't even want. He actually wanted to be Kaito's friend, Kaito seemed to be the type of person who treasured what few relationships he had. Kaito would be safe, he wouldn't use Saguru for his money.

_ 'I finally realize that I want to be Kuroba's friend, right when Kuroba is stricken by ailment and possible injury _ ...'

He sat up in his bed, letting out a sigh as he covered his face with his hands. He wanted to check up on the magician, the teen's paleness and shakiness was more than enough reason for concern.

_ 'Kuroba could have used makeup, but he didn't and his acting skills were failing him... What if he's dying _ ?'

It seemed like a very possible reason, people were after Kaito's life.  _ Skilled killers _ were after his life, he could have been poisoned and was slowly dying.

_ 'I've already been called a stalker by Kuroba in the past, it wouldn't hurt to check up on him again _ ...'

Saguru didn't want to miss the chance of having the brunette as a friend, if the other was really sick, he had enough money to help with finding a treatment.

With his mind made up, he slipped out of his bed and changed from his pyjamas to a long sleeved light grey button up shirt and dark brown trousers.

"Took you long enough" Baaya's voice startled the teen, almost making him fall down the stairs if not for the railing.

"Bloody—" The blond boy back his curse when he noticed it was just Baaya who had talked. "Baaya?!? Why are you awake?" Saguru breathed, his heart hammering in his chest.

' _ She scared me half to death _ ...'

"I was waiting for you to stop being silly" The old woman replied, a wry smile on her lips as she motioned the teen to follow her. "Kuroba-Kun is seriously ill and all alone, the Saguru that I've raised wouldn't let a friend be in that condition alone" She continued as they headed out the door towards the car.

"We're not friends..." The blond trailed off as he entered and fastened his seatbelt.

"Not friends yet, I'm sure that you helping him while he's sick will smooth things over between you two" Baaya smiled as she started the car and began to drive over towards the Kuroba residence. "I've already decided to call you in sick tomorrow, you're not allowed to leave that boy's side until he's well"

' _ Baaya is amazing _ '

"Thank you Baaya..." The blond couldn't help the small smile on his lips, he really couldn't live without her.

"It's no problem young master, it is a delight to know that you're reaching out"

*

When they reached the Kuroba residence, Baaya handed Saguru a bag that had a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, and a few changes of clothes. The blond raised a curious brow at the contents, he hadn't realized how ahead of things his caretaker was.

"Thank you, you're always thinking ahead" Saguru stated, earning himself a warm pat on the shoulder. It would have been awkward asking for toiletries and clothes when he was the one to force himself into the house.

' _ I'd be lost without her _ '

"I do my best for you Saguru, now go and break into that boy's house. You could probably climb that tree near his window" The detective gawked at Baaya's words.

"I-I'm a detective! I can't break into houses!" He spluttered, appalled at the thought.

"No, you're a concerned boy who's worried about their really ill friend, you can pay for any damages done. In addition, if he really is Kaitou Kid, I doubt he'd call the police for breaking and entering" Baaya reasoned before pulling out of the driveway and driving away.

' _ Breaking into an international jewel thief's house _ ...' 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the updates are too slow here... The main site where this exists it Wattpad, updated every Saturday and Monday... And is already on chappy 24 posted and unposted chapter count is currently 48....
> 
> It's just a pain pulling out my chromebook for this site...
> 
> \--------------------------------------------------------

_ The lower levels of the house are probably more secure _ ...'

The detective looked up at the tree, it seemed easy enough to climb. There were faint patches where bark had recently fallen off, leading him to think that the tree had been recently climbed.

_ 'I wonder how many times Kuroba has snuck into his house this way _ ...'

Saguru slung his bag over his shoulder, securing it to allow his hands freedom. He took in a breath, bracing his legs before jumping upwards, wrapping both arms around the lowest branch. With a grunt he heaved himself up until he was sitting on the branch.

_ 'I'm not made for climbing trees like Kuroba _ ...'

He stayed there for a few moments before hauling himself up another few branches until he was at the height of a window. He couldn't see through the window due to the black curtains blocking his view.

Saguru shimmied along the branch he was currently on until he was right in front of the window. A smirk crossed over his features when the window silently swung inwards at his touch.

_ 'Figures that Kuroba doesn't bother locking the upper level windows. He probably would think it amusing if a real thief broke in, and would most likely chase them down with glee _ '

As stealthily as he could, he slipped through the window and past the curtains, leaving them open to allow the moon's natural light to give him sight.

' _ Kuroba _ !'

All stealthiness was lost when the blond caught sight of Kaito laying limply on a bed, the blood on his chin sending a cold wave of panic throughout him.

"Oi Kuroba!" Saguru called, stumbling over towards the other's limp form. Without missing a beat, he checked the boy's pulse, sinking down onto his knees in relief when he felt it. "Damn it Kuroba..." Saguru let out a shaky breath, it seemed even without trying the magician still managed to mess with him.

' _ Wait, he should have woken up from the noise _ '

The detective released Kaito's wrist to switch on the light, having noticed it on his way over to the bed. "Wake up" It was unsettling to see the teen laying motionlessly, Kaito was known to be a light sleeper. He frowned, placing a hand over the other's forehead, recoiling away with a hiss.

_ 'He has a really high fever, it needs to be lowered _ '

Saguru bit his lip before heading out of the bedroom in search of the bathroom and a clean cloth. He'd never been in the upper levels of the Kuroba residence.

*

When he found the required items, he carried them back towards the brunette's room, setting the cold water filled bucket beside the bed before dipping a navy blue washcloth into it. After wringing out the extra water he set the cloth on the magician's forehead, grimacing when he received to reaction. He then placed an ear thermometer into Kaito's ear, cringing when he read that the fever was 104 degrees.

_ 'A fever that high is dangerous, I need to lower it or else he'll need to go to a hospital _ '

Saguru felt conflicted, he figured that the teen most likely had suspicious scars, ones that would raise a hospital's attention. Potentially dangerous questions may be asked, and with Kaito unconscious, false tales couldn't be as easily spun.

Shaking away his unpleasant thoughts, he dipped a different cloth into the water and began to dab away the blood from Kaito's face. The teen looked much better without the blood.

' _ His colour is a bit less pale than earlier, maybe his paleness was from blood loss _ ...'

Saguru didn't like that, a fever after blood loss most likely meant infection. Golden eyes peered over the boy, there was no visible injury, but that didn't matter when it came to Kaito. Kaito was a disguise artist.

He gently began to poke along the boy's arms, his touch never lingering for more than a second. He'd already previously concluded that the magician's lower body was most likely fine. When he found nothing wrong with his arms, he prodded the other's shoulders gently, jumping back when a faint whine escaped from the unconscious teen.

"Kuroba?" Frowning when he received no answer, Saguru gently prodded Kaito's chest, confirming his suspicion that it was the teen's back that was injured.

' _ He shouldn't lay on his back if it's injured, he refrained from doing so earlier. But if I move him onto his stomach, he'd warm up too much due to his face being pushed into the bed _ .'

With those thoughts in mind, the blond snatched a star printed blanket from the floor and rolled it up into a cylinder, doing the same with a checkered gray blanket. He placed one beside Kaito before gently shifting the boy so that he was laying in his side. Then he placed the other blanket beside Kaito to stop him from rolling over.

' _ That should hopefully relieve his pain. I'd like to check the injury, but if i did so without Kuroba's permission, problems could arise _ '

He'd already broken into the other's home, to strip him of his shirt and have Kaito wake up in the process would be a nightmare to deal with. He carefully replaced the cloth on Kaito's head after renewing its wetness in the bucket.

*

When the magician's fever refused to break after a few hours, Saguru felt his concern rise. High fevers could result in brain damage, he didn't want that. After rechecking the teen's temperature and finding it at 104.3 degrees, he decided to draw a cold bath for the teen.

There was no way he was going to strip the other, he did  _ not _ want to deal with the teasing if Kaito were to wake up. He'd just wrap Kaito in a bundle of towels after the bath, hopefully they would help his clothes dry.

' _ Hopefully the cold water will wake him up, it's odd being around a silent Kuroba _ '

With that in mind he headed over towards the bathroom and began to fill up the tub, careful not to make it too cold. He didn't want to shock the boy's system.


	7. Chapter 7

After drawing the bath and making sure it was the right temperature, the blond headed back towards Kaito's bedroom. Gently, not wanting to jostle the teen more than necessary, Saguru scooped Kaito up into his arms. He almost dropped him when he felt how little Kaito weighed.

_ 'He feels like he weighs no more than 60 pounds... But that's impossible, muscle weighs a lot and Kuroba must have a lot of muscle to do the things he does as Kid _ '

It was concerning how the magician didn't even twitch as he was carried into the bathroom.

With as much care as he could muster, the blond slowly lowered the teen into the water, it was only high enough to reach Kaito's stomach. He didn't want to soak an unknown injury in water and his estimate was that the injury was on Kaito's upper back.

*

He felt soggy, it was gross. Bleary indigos blinked open, Kaito tried to move but soon found out that he couldn't. Heart hammering within his chest, the teen began to squirm in his soggy restraints. His vision hadn't cleared yet, but from what he felt, he was wrapped up like a soggy burrito, both arms and legs pinned to his side.

' _ I've been caught?!? By who _ ?!'

"Whoa! Kuroba calm down!" Saguru soothed, having noticed how Kaito had suddenly bolted awake in a panic. He figures that waking up restrained wasn't good for the phantom thief's nerves.

"Hakuba?..." The magician asked, voice dry as he blinked to clear his vision.

_ 'Why is Hakuba here? I don't remember letting him in _ '

"Yes Kuroba, it's me. You've been unconscious with a high fever for hours" The blond replied, Kaito could feel his bindings being removed from him, he glanced around and noticed that they were towels. "I gave you a clothed cold water soak when your fever refused to fall" Saguru paused before continuing. "Your fever reached 104.3 degrees, I feared it would continue to rise without a soak" He breathed, relieved to see the trickster awake.

"You could have taken me to the hospital..." Kaito yawned, he felt much better than he had the previous night. The detective's présence confused him.

_ 'Did he sneak into my house _ ?'

"I would normally have, but I figured that you may have some suspicious scars due to your... Magic. With you unconscious and unable to weave a tale I feared...that wrong assumptions would be made" Saguru admitted, Kaito slowly sat up and observed the other's expression. He could see the genuine concern, it was unsettling.

"I'm not Kid Hakuba" Kaito sighed, too tired to put any real anger in his voice. The blond let out a soft sigh before handing Kaito a fresh towel.

"I don't care about whether or not you moonlight as an international jewel thief or not, I was just concerned about Kuroba Kaito" Saguru replied softly, he hadn't slept all night and it was nearing 7 in the morning.

_ 'He's not lying... Why is Hakuba so strange lately _ ?'

"I already told you yesterday, I'm fine" The brunette countered, having the other be nice to him made him uneasy. Saguru was supposed to be an annoying bastard, not whatever this was.

"I found you unconscious with blood trailing down your chin" Saguru paused, grabbing Kaito's wrist. "For a few moments, I thought you were dead until I checked your pulse" The blond's voice was soft as he remembered his fears.

' _ Ah... Since he's a detective, he's probably seen many people like that but dead _ ...'

Kaito swallowed, he understood the gravity of the situation, yet the amount of concern radiating from Saguru was odd. "It won't happen again, it's okay for you to leave now" Kaito breathed, hands clenching one of the discarded towels.

"I know about your back" Alarm shot through Kaito as he suddenly jumped to his feet, staggering as he backed away from the teen.

' _ Shit! He's going to tell everyone _ !'

"Kuroba?" Saguru questioned, having not expected the flat out panic in the other's expression.

"P-please don't tell anyone!" Kaito hissed, his form inching towards the window, ready to bolt at a moments notice.

Saguru raised his arms up in an non-threatening manner, thoroughly confused by the magician's stuttering. "I won't tell anyone about your injury, I just want to check on it" He soothed, risking a small step towards the younger.

' _ Injury?... He doesn't know about the wings _ ...'

Kaito felt exhaustion overtake him as he allowed himself to collapse face down onto his bed. Adrenalin leaving him. "No, it's fine" The magician sighed, raising his head from the bed, all of his energy had left him after that scare.

_ 'I almost had a heart attack _ ...'

The blond frowned before slowly making his way over towards the bed, feeling wary indigos following his movements. "I don't care how you got hurt, but if your injury is affecting you enough that you can barely move, it needs to be properly cared for" Saguru breathed as he sat down beside the boy. "I refrained from checking while you were unconscious out of respect, but now that you're conscious I insist" Kaito tensed as he felt the other's fingertips gently brush his upper back between his shoulder blades. It hurt, a lot.

_ 'If he'd checked while I was unconscious... I could have been captured and sent off before I even woke up _ ...'

"Please don't" Kaito's voice was a soft whine, he knew that he wouldn't be able to escape the other if Saguru decided to use force. He was helpless and at the mercy of one of his biggest rivals, it was scary. Kaitou Kid wasn't supposed to be helpless.

Saguru lifted his fingers from the brunette's back and looked at Kaito's face with concern. He'd never thought that he'd ever hear the other beg. It was wrong, the scared tone of the other's voice wasn't right. "Kuroba... What happened?" Saguru asked gently, he had a feeling that if he forced him, he'd ruin any chance of them being friends.


	8. Chapter 8

"Please just leave it be" The magician whispered, ducking his head lower so that his chin was touching the bed.

_ 'Why is he so scared? Is he afraid I'll use his injury as proof of him being Kid _ ?'

"Kuroba, no matter what, I promise not to use your injury against you in any way" Saguru tried to soothe, he'd be scared too at the possibility of jail, there'd be no way to hide from assassins.

' _ He's so submissive... I don't like it, Kuroba isn't supposed to be like this _ '

Kaito closed his eyes and shook his head, a small tremble passing through his body. "I'm not seriously injured, it's just that I can't move well with the way I've bound my injuries. I'm much better than yesterday" The brunette paused for a moment before continuing. "I'm just tired from blood loss, but I'll be better with rest" Kaito replied, voice soft as he averted his gaze. He figured that the other had already suspected blood loss and admitting it would be less suspicious.

_ 'Since he's conscious, I don't need to worry about the blood loss _ '

A soft smile played on the blond's lips. "I'm relieved, I've heard that practicing magic can sometimes be dangerous" Saguru breathed, wide indigos whipped over to meet his eyes. Kaito hadn't expected the easy 'out' that he'd just been given.

_ 'In a way I'm not technically lying, some magic tricks are potentially dangerous if done wrong _ '

"Yeah, it can be hard at times..." Kaito glanced at the bed thoughtfully. "Normally you'd accuse me of being Kid and say my injuries are from heists..." He sighed.

Saguru nodded, it was a normal response. "True, but that was before I started to get to know you. Even if you were Kid— I'm not saying you are— you'd probably have a really good reason." He gave the younger a gentle smile. "You're not the kind of guy to purposely use up police resources just for kicks— if you were Kid that is"

_ 'I need to be careful with my wording, I don't need him shutting me out right now _ '

Cautiously, the brunette managed to sit up, he almost fell but Saguru caught him by his arms to help steady him. Kaito bit his lip. "What do you think Kid's reasons are?" He ventured.

"He's looking for something, and those people after him probably want whatever it is. He's purposely drawing their attention with his flashy clothing..." Saguru clenched his fists as he continued. "He continuously does his best to maintain his 'No one gets hurt policy' despite that he doesn't include himself in it. He's most likely trying to take a gang of killers down with little help..." The detective finished.

_ 'He's a stupidly self sacrificing idiot who's going to get killed... I can't even protect him by locking him up _ '

Saguru jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry Hakuba, Kid-sama most likely has help. It's unlikely that he's doing all of that all alone right?" Kaito flashed the blond a cheeky grin before continuing. "He probably practices all the time and studies all kinds of medical aid, you said it yourself, he likes to protect people" The magician praised, looking much more like himself than before.

' _ He looks more confident, more like Kuroba _ '

"That makes me feel much better Kuroba, I'll be able to sleep better with less worry" Kaito tilted his head as his face scrunched up in concern at the other's words.

"You've been losing sleep over him? And not in the kinky way?" The last bit was tacked on with a small smirk.

The blond let out a sigh, resisting the urge to smack the injured boy. "If Kid died... I don't even want to think about it. It's bad enough that he'd be killed if he was ever caught" Saguru sighed.

_ 'I'd most likely fly back to England and never return to Japan _ ...'

"But you're always chasing him..." The magician replied.

"If I chase him, he'll have more incentive to polish his skills. He seems to become more lax when it's just the task force after him. If I ever managed to catch him... I'd hide his identity and help him fight the shadows after his life..." Saguru finished.

Kaito gawked, he hadn't expected the detective to actually care so much. The fact that the other didn't seem to be lying was a little scary. "You're a detective, it goes against everything you stand for..." Kaito whispered, still shocked.

The blond shrugged. "Nobody would know, I'm sure that Kid would twist things to protect my standing if things got too messy. Letting a good person die would be more against why I became a detective"

' _ Kuroba wouldn't let me take the fall with him _ '

"Oh..." Kaito held back his embarrassed blush, he wasn't used to being praised by one of his detectives like this. "I won't tell anyone what you told me, that could cause problems for you" Saguru nodded his thanks.

"That would be appreciated" The blond glanced at his pocket watch before putting it away. "It's 8:32:12 am, I'll prepare something for us to eat" Kaito opened his mouth to refute but Saguru cut him off. "You need to rest to regain your strength, Baaya has already called in for me and has kicked me out of the house until you're better"

"Why did she kick you out?" Kaito questioned, it was odd that Saguru's caretaker had done that.

"Baaya wants me to socialize more and I've ranted often enough to her about your antics that she wants us to be friends" Saguru admitted, knowing that the other would be able to see through most lies he'd manage to make up.

A Kid grin covered the magician's face. "Oh? You talk about me?" He asked, his tone suggestive as he raised a brow.

_ 'And this is one of the reasons I know he's Kid, that grin _ '

"Kuroba, please don't make me want to poison your portion. I am a detective, I know how to hide evidence" Saguru sighed, rolling his eyes at the other's antics.  


	9. Chapter 9

_ 'Everything seems to have flipped upside down _ ...'

Kaito could hear the blond rummaging around his kitchen. It all felt so surreal to have grown wings and now having the detective visibly caring about him. He let out a huff as he gently scratched his upper back, things were so much more simpler two days ago.

_ 'I can't believe that he said all that about Kid... He's actually willing to risk his reputation as a detective to protect me _ ...'

A warm feeling bubbled in his chest, it felt nice to have someone genuinely care. He had his mother, but she was rarely around and liked to shove her troubles onto him. There was also Jii, but the kind man seemed to think of Kaito as a higher entity, he cared, but he was always calling him 'Young Master' despite his disapproval.

_ 'His mind could change if he saw my wings, people don't like the unknown. Hakuba's a detective which makes that extra true, he wouldn't be able to comprehend _ ...'

He gripped his sheets tighter, pushing his face into his pillow. He didn't know what to do, he was stuck. Even when he regained his strength he still wouldn't be able to go about life like  _ his _ normal.

He glanced over towards the large portrait of his father, wishing to disappear behind it and jump off the tallest building he could find before pulling up at the last second. He loved the feeling of free falling. His fists tightened, his mantle wouldn't fit right with his wings.

He called over Tsuki with a whistle, and she appeared from behind one of his stacks of chemistry books. A smile graced his lips as the dove settled beside his face and began to nuzzle his cheek. "You're so sweet Tsuki" The magician chuckled, returning the muzzle by rubbing his cheek against her. The soft cooing settling his nerves.

He'd accidentally locked his other doves outside, but it was fine, they knew how to care for themselves. Tsuki was the youngest so she had stayed inside during the heist, he wanted her to have more training before she was given completely free roam of Edoka. He contemplated asking Saguru to open a window, the other knew he was hurt, and Kaito didn't want to keep his doves locked out.

_ 'I wonder if he's actually going to stay here until I've regained my strength... That would be a problem, I doubt I'd be able to further crush my wings with him in the house _ '

Saguru may walk in and see him writhing in pain, something that would obviously cause the other to panic and check his 'injury' by force.

' _ I have an x-ray machined in my Kid room, I could use it to see how attached the wings are. If they're connected by a joint, I could just cut them off and coat the wounds with some coagulant before I passed out. I'd just have to deal with blood loss again _ '

He didn't want to think about what he would do if his actual shoulder blades had changed shape drastically enough that just cutting at a joint wouldn't work. His shoulder blades were important.

He gently ran his fingers through Tsuki's feathers, enjoying their softness. He was slightly jealous that she could fly freely without any concern.

"Kuroba" Indigos snapped over towards his doorway, Saguru was holding a tray with some rice and eggs. "I figured, it would be easier for you to eat up here" The blond added as he stepped into the room, balancing the tray perfectly before setting it onto the bed in front of Kaito.

"Aww breakfast in bed, you shouldn't have dear" Kaito teased, putting Tsuki on her head before carefully sitting up. Saguru let out an amused snort.

"You're insufferable" Saguru sighed, his attention moving towards the dove. "What's her name?" He asked as Kaito picked up his chopsticks.

_ 'I forgot he likes birds' _

Kaito pointed towards Saguru and snapped his fingers, Tsuki immediately took off and landed on the blond's head. "Her name is Tsuki, she's the youngest of my doves and is still in training" Kaito smirked when Saguru reached up to give Tsuki a few scratches.

"Tsuki... Its a nice name, where are your other doves?" Saguru inquired, missing his own hawk Watson, but he knew that she wouldn't be allowed in the Kuroba residence. Watson would eat Kaito's doves and send the magician on a revenge filled rage, not the best way to make friends with a flighty magician.

Kaito swallowed some rice before answering. "Outside, I accidentally locked them out, they're fine but it'd be nice if you opened the window" He replied, pointing to said window with his chopsticks.

Nodding, Saguru walked over and opened the window, amazed at how trained the magician's other doves had to be. "That's quite impressive, I don't think I'd be able to do that with Watson" He mused before spotting a black feather. "Kuroba, do you have any other birds besides doves?" 

Kaito glanced up from his food and stiffened. "No, that's something left over from a prank I was practicing" Saguru noted the other's change but let it slide.

_ 'Shit, I didn't think about the possibility of shedding _ '

"Practice? You don't mean that you test them on yourself first do you?" The blond inquired, twirling the smooth black feather through his fingers, it was unusually large, yet it felt real. He didn't know of any black birds big enough to shed the feather.

A proud grin spread across Kaito's face. "Of course I do! I need to make sure they're safe! I mix a lot of chemicals to make all of the fun dyes, slimes, and smoke! It wouldn't be a very fun prank if I hurt someone" The blond's brow twitched at the implications of the other's words.

"So you test chemicals on yourself? Do you know how dangerous that is?" Kaito shrugged.

"Only when I'm almost completely sure it's safe" The magician replied, grinning widely. "Don't worry, I'm good with science, it's rare that I almost blow myself up" He added as an afterthought.


	10. Chapter 10

 

"Kuroba, could you please refrain from potentially poisoning yourself in the future?" Saguru sighed, pinching his brow. "It would be a shame for you to meet your untimely end via a failed glitter concoction" Kaito let out a snort at the other's words, it would at least be interesting.

_ 'It would be the most colourful death I'd ever witnessed' _

"I'd rather not go to jail for accidental murder Hakuba, I'm highly attractive, I'd rather not have to beat off creeps with a stick" Kaito smirked, twirling his chopsticks between his fingers like a baton.

"I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be allowed a stick" Saguru drawled, imagining the havoc that the magician could create if he went to jail as himself and not Kaitou Kid.

' _Dear god, he'd escape and they'd never be able to recapture him. Kuroba would just hang around the jail traumatizing both criminals and the police until they gave him bail_ _in order to preserve their sanity_ '

"So you'd let the creeps get their hands on me?!?" Kaito gasped in mock horror, he knew that the blond would most likely pull some strings to protect him.

"As if anyone could normally get their hands on you without your permission" Saguru smirked, pitying the poor fools that would ever try.

_ 'I've seen the acrobatics he's done as Kid, he's slippery to catch _ '

"I'm not omnipotent" Kaito sighed, shoulders sagging as he finished his meal. Saguru noticed the change in demeanour and raised a brow.

"I know, but you bounce back scarily quickly" The blond replied softly.

"Why are you being so nice to me?! It's not normal for you" Kaito's sudden outburst startled the blond. Golden eyes took in the other's form before sitting beside him.

' _ He's uneasy due to me treating him better _ ?'

"It's because I've decided to become your friend, I've already stated my reasons previously" To Saguru's surprise, the magician scooted a bit away from him, avoiding his gaze.

"I'm not a good friend to have Hakuba" Kaito replied, his voice void of emotion, the blond noted how tightly Kaito was clutching the chopsticks.

"True, you lie all the time and hide your emotions to protect others, you purposely keep others at arm length. However, you truly care or those actually close to you" Saguru admitted, glancing towards the painting of who he assumed to be Kaito's father. "And I think you're trying to protect yourself from losing anyone else" He finished.

' _ He lost his father and has an absentee mother. On top of that he's being hunted down by a group of killers _ '

Scowling, the chopsticks in Kaito's hand snapped. "Why would I be afraid? I'm just a high schooler like you"

Gently, Saguru took Kaito's hand and opened it, relieving the boy of the chopstick's remains. He knew that a magician's hands were important and didn't want the brunette to have more problems. "I understand the risks of befriending you Kuroba, or I at least have an idea" He replied, depositing the wood splinters onto the tray. Kaito whirled around, indigos blazing, only to let out a pained yelp and crumple onto the bed, thankfully missing the tray.

"Kuroba?!" Saguru's voice tense as he attempted to help the other up, only for the other to let out a pained hiss. Kaito had moved in a way that caused his bindings to further crush his wings. Saguru felt panic when the magician closed his eyes and gritted his teeth instead of replying.

"Is there any way I can help?" The blond asked, hands hovering over the teen, afraid that he might accidentally aggravate the other's injury by accident if he tried again. A low whine was his only response. He lifted the teen's head up gently to check his face then checked his pulse.

_ 'He's barely conscious _ ...'

"Kuroba, I'm checking your injury" Saguru stated, this having been the last straw concerning the other's health. When he received no reply, he noted that Kaito had slipped into unconsciousness.

' _ He can't blame me too much for going against his wishes, hopefully I'll only be dyed instead of glitter glue bombed _ '

Saguru gently turned the brunette over, allowing him access to the buttons of Kaito's pyjama top. He popped them open with ease and paused.

_ 'Is that a corset _ ?...  _ it's on backwards I think _ ?'

He nimbly began to undo the ties. It was concerning exactly how tight it had been tied. He paused when a black feather slipped out of the now loosened corset's back. "What in the world?..." It was the same type of feather as before.

' _ Did he get hurt by a failed practice prank _ ?'

When he finished untying all the knots he had to pause, something wasn't right with Kaito's back. He carefully opened the corset and began to lift the boy out of it. "What in the—?!" His voice cut off in shock, Kaito had wings, they were covered in the sleek black feathers from before. Numbly he laid the teen down on his stomach, intrigued. He felt along the base, shock filling him when he realized they were real. When he tried to spread them out, they crumpled at awkward angles. "Bloody hell..." Saguru breathed, horror chilling him to the bone.

_ 'Kuroba has wings, mangled wings... did he do this to himself _ ?...'

The blond swallowed down the bile rising in his throat, he couldn't imagine the brunette harming himself.

_ 'How did he get wings? Was his weakness a result of gaining them _ ?'

As gently as he could, he spread out Kaito's wings across the bed, intending to bandage them. He had some practice from when Watson broke her wing, and didn't want the bones to heal wrong.

' _ What in the bloody hell was he thinking?! Was he trying to cripple himself _ ?!'

He ran his fingers through the feathers, noting the locations of the visible breaks and fractures. He paused when he felt dried blood clotted throughout them, concentrated mostly around the base and getting more sparse the closer to the wing tips he got.

' _ Did they suddenly sprout from his back? It would explain the blood... Kuroba _ ...'


	11. Chapter 11

In numb silence, Saguru used the water and cloth from before to clean the blood out of Kaito's wings. He knew that clean wings were vital for a bird's health and wondered if the same applies to the magician. Either way, he didn't like seeing blood on Kaito.

 _'Has this change affected him chemically as well_?'

The blond pondered as he continued to gently clean the feathers, making sure not to drench them. He figured that the shock of growing wings was the reason for the trickster's weird actions.

' _Who knows what other unknown changes have happened to him? He was dangerously light when I carried him earlier... Are his bones hollow now? More fragile_?'

Saguru let out a sigh as he finished cleaning one particularly stubborn patch of dried blood, he didn't know what to think. On one hand Kaito had wings, something most people want, on the other hand he couldn't see an easy and painless way for them to be hidden.

' _He wouldn't be able to be Kid, unless he decides he wants Kid to have wings... but then if he ever had to go to the hospital, or attended a regular school physical, he'd be outed right away_...'

*

When Kaito woke up, he felt different, his wings didn't hurt as much as before. Taking stock of himself he froze, his wings were unbound and bandaged. Saguru had seen them.

' _Oh god I'm going to be experimented on_!'

He felt his heartbeat pounding in his chest as he sat up, wide indigos scanning his surroundings. Saguru was beside him holding a roll of bandages. "Kuro—" Kaito didn't hear the blond's words over his pounding heart, with a short whine he bolted through the window.

 _'I have to hide! He's probably already called people_...'

*

The brunette's swift departure left Saguru stunned, he hadn't expected Kaito to bolt right away. When he regained his senses, a string of curses slipped from his mouth as he swiftly threw down the bandages and ran down the stairs. He'd seen the panic in the other's gaze, Kaito wasn't fit to be outside alone.

 _'Thank god he stayed passed out until it was dark out_...'

That was the only blessing in the situation as Saguru swiftly slid his shoes on before bolting our the door. He hoped the night would help Kaito's wings stay hidden better.

 _'If he's found by the wrong people_...'

He shook his head to clear his thoughts, the magician would be fine. Saguru would find him before anything bad happened.

*

' _My life's over... I'm going to be a lab rat_...'

A low whine caught in his throat as he ducked into the shadows, he needed to pilfer a large coat to hide his wings. He wouldn't let himself be caught before finding Pandora.

He saw a large man wearing the exact sort of coat he required, he stuck his hand in his pocket, ready to throw a gas bomb only for his hand to come up empty.

 _'He emptied my pockets_!'

*

 _'I should have reacted quicker and caught him before he escaped_ '

There weren't many places a winged boy could easily hide, he immediately crossed off highly populated areas from his search list. Saguru knew Kaito couldn't use a disguise, he didn't have any materials on him due to his pockets being emptied before the bath.

 _'Where would Kuroba go?... Kaitou Kid likes high places, so it should translate to Kuroba liking them as well_ '

*

' _So tired_...'

Kaito's legs were shaking as he climbed the ladder, willing his hands to not give into his weakness. His broken wings were weighing heavily on his back, unable to hold themselves up they were like deadweight.

' _Where am I..._?'

His vision blurred slightly before he shook his head, clearing it. He needed to keep moving, he hadn't managed to steal a good enough coat to hide himself

*

The blond's nerves were buzzing, he knew he must look odd running through dark allies and looking up towards high buildings, he didn't care. He really wished that the person he was chasing didn't moonlight as a phantom thief.

' _Chasing regular people is so much easier_...'

Saguru let out a swear as he tripped over a discarded alcohol bottle, landing face first onto the pavement, scraping both his legs and arms along with his chin. "Bloody—" He paused in his outburst, a large black feather was laying on the ground. Ignoring the stinging from his injuries, he sat up and grabbed the feather, relief washing through him when it felt slightly warm.

' _He's close_...'

*

 _'I wonder if I can jump that_?'

Kaito paused at the ledge of a roof, another roof was a few meters away, normally he could leap a gap like that with no problem. He bit his lip, he was tired and dizzy

' _I'm not that high up, only four stories, I won't die if I fall, I need to keep going_ '

The magician took a few steps backwards before running towards the ledge and leaping off.

*

Saguru looked up, knowing that the magician likes high routes. Golden irises widened in horror as he caught sight of the winged boy's silhouette leaping from a building, and missing the ledge, instead only catching it with his arms.

' _KUROBA_!'

He held in his scream, not wanting to alert attention towards Kaito, his feet had already began to move towards the target building, he could see a ladder a few feet away from the struggling teen.

' _He's not strong enough to pull himself up_!'

Fear raced through him as he began to ascend the ladder, praying to every deity out there that Kaito could hold on until he could help him up.

*

Kaito let out a ragged gasp, he didn't want to fall, he'd be too injured to escape notice. He could feel his fingers slipping, blood slicking his hold, he wished that bricks weren't so rough.

' _Oyaji... I'm sorry, I tried_...'

The magician's vision blurred as he felt his arms give out.

 _'I hope nobody notices me fall, I don't want to wake up in a lab_ '


	12. Chapter 12

He felt a familiar momentary weightlessness before he felt his momentum stop. Bleary indigos blinked up, seeing a familiar splash of blond in his vision. "Hakuba..." He breathed, feeling adrenaline pulsing through his veins as his vision cleared to see the detective leaning over the ledge, holding his arm.

_ 'No I'm caught _ !'

Kaito let out a growl as he clawed with his free hand at the arms holding his. He wouldn't stay caught without a fight. "Kuroba—?!" Saguru's voice strained and he braced his knees to help anchor his weight. "What the bloody hell are you doing?!" He yelled, clenching his teeth at the strain of holding him up.

"Let go!" The magician began to struggle more furiously when the blond refused to release his grip. Saguru shook his head, ignoring the blood now dripping down his arms, he knew Kaito wasn't thinking straight. It just sickened him that the normally non violent thief was resorting to clawing him.

"Kuroba please stop!" He could feel his grip slipping, he didn't have the right leverage to haul the struggling teen up despite the major change in the other's bone density. "I'm not letting go, so unless you want both of us to fall, please stop" Saguru pleaded, trying to appeal to Kaito's natural protectiveness of others.

' _ I don't want to hurt him _ ...'

Saguru let out a relieved breath when the struggling ceased, he lowered his other hand and offered it towards the magician. Without a word, Kaito took his hand and allowed the blond to pull him up. "Why?..." Kaito rasped, looking anywhere but at the blond. He was caught.

Golden eyes took in the teen's fearful expression and he felt his heart actually ache for him. "I didn't want you to fall" Saguru breathed, wrapping his arms around Kaito's frail shoulders, mindful of the damaged wings.

' _ He's not disgusted _ ?...'

"I thought detectives hated the supernatural..." The magician whispered, trying but failing to move out of the other's grasp. "Shouldn't you be sending people to study me so I'm science instead?..." Kaito continued with a shudder, tears threatening to fall at the thought of his future.

He felt Saguru stiffen and pull away a bit, golden eyes wide. "My god..." The blond had to swallow before continuing, thoroughly horrified. "You thought that I would do that to you?" Saguru's voice shaking, finally comprehending the force behind the other's actions. He pulled Kaito into a tighter hug than before, gently carding his fingers through the unruly locks in an attempt to soothe him. "I'd  _ never _ do that to you Kuroba, the fact that you now have wings doesn't change who you are"

_ 'It doesn't? _ ...'

"But I can't be me anymore!" The magician whined, clutching onto the fabric of Saguru's shirt. "I can't do acrobatics if they're bound, and I can't do things how I normally do" Kaito sobbed, letting his tears stain Saguru's shirt. "And I can't—" His Words faded into his sobs as the blond gently ran his fingers through Kaito's hair.

_ 'I can't keep my promise to Oyaji _ ...'

"Shhh" Saguru soothed, letting the distraught teen pour out his emotions. He figured one can only hold onto so much before they spill. "We'll find a way to fix this, a way that doesn't result in your harm" he added softly.

"Can't I just cut them off?" The magician questioned, words soft as he glanced back at his useless wings.

The blond's fingers stilled at the comment. "Please don't without thinking it through, we need to figure out how you got them. What if they just regrow?" Saguru paused, feeling sick as he continued. "The blood loss from cutting them off would be bad, what if they regrow too soon after? You'd lose even more blood and coud..." His voice trailed off, not wanting to continue.

' _ Ah, I didn't think of that _ ...'

"That would be, bad" Kaito admitted, ducking his head in embarrassment. He couldn't afford to die due to his stupidity.

"I concur, it's best if we do some tests— privately of course" The blond added hastily when he felt the other's form stiffen. "Just simple ones like an X-Ray, blood tests to check if your hormone levels are right, and maybe an ultrasound just to be extra safe" At the raised eyebrow he received Saguru explained. "An ultrasound would show if any fleshy changes have happened, for all we know, you could be part bird" Saguru replied.

"Oh, it would be bad if I don't have a diaphragm anymore..." Kaito added before pausing. "I at least know I don't have a cloaca, I pissed just fine earlier" The magician joked with a smirk, eliciting an exasperated groan from the blond.

"That is both relieving to know and crude of you to phrase in such a way" Saguru replied, his lips quirking upwards. "At least you are male, so that means there is no chance of you laying eggs, unless there is something you should tell me?..." Kaito covered his face and burst out into a giggling fit.

' _ Oh my god, that would be horrible _ !'

"Oh Haku—!" The magician was cut off by another bout of giggles. "I wasn't expecting that comment, but no, I am completely male"  The brunette laughed.

"You seem much better after letting go" Saguru observed. "Maybe you shouldn't let things build up so much, I wouldn't mind lightening your burden when it gets too much" He added softly.

' _ Hakuba _ ...'

Indigos looked away. "I don't want to burden others"

Saguru smiled, understanding Kaito's concerns. "It seems that we are at an impasse, I don't want you to be burdened either, but it's much less of a burden when shared. Kuroba I know that you're used to being alone, but I'm now involved whether you like it or not" Saguru clasped Kaito's bloodied hands in his own gently, determination in his eyes at he met his gaze. "I will  _ not _ use this secret against you, and I'm pretty sure that this secret is just as bad as your other one"


	13. Chapter 13

The blond's gaze didn't falter as the brunette glanced away. "Hakuba, please don't start accusing me of being Kid" Kaito sighed. "You were doing so well before"

' _ Kuroba is seriously going to fight me on this _ ?'

"Kuroba, you and me both know that the moment Kid gets caught, he's basically dead. I do not want you to die, how many times do I have to restate myself?" Saguru replied, voice low so as not to attract any attention.

Kaito's left wing twitched, eliciting a hiss from the teen. The magician hung his head, closing his eyes in defeat. "Fine you win Hakuba, knowing you, you'd stick your nose in where it doesn't belong and end up shot" Kaito's sighed, his adrenalin rush finally ending.

' _ Finally, though I wish he could have admitted it under a more acceptable situation _ '

Saguru let himself smile at the admittance, knowing that he'd have to wait for the full explanation at a later date. "Thank you Kuroba, I promise not to misuse any of the information that I've learned today" The magician nodded, leaning his forehead against Saguru's shoulder, too tired to hold himself up. "I believe we should head back to your house" He added, noting the other's lack of energy.

' _ So many adrenaline rushes in such a short period of time probably isn't good for him _ '

Kaito hummed in response, too tired to voice his agreement. "Can I call Baaya? I have complete faith in how trustworthy she is" Saguru inquired, not wanting to alert anyone without Kaito's permission but also not knowing if said magician could make it back.

"Yes, I've researched her" The brunette let out a yawn before continuing. "She wouldn't do anything to break your trust, and she has no control over me" He finished, thinking about how his mother would try to hide him from the world for his own protection, him being Kaitou Kid was already almost too much for her.

_ 'I guess Kid's research can be useful, if not highly intrusive at times _ '

"Thank you, I didn't want to carry you all the way back while hiding in the shadows" Saguru replied, pulling out his phone and dialling Baaya.

"Young master?" Baaya's voice questioned.

"Can you come pick me and Kuroba up? We're...." His voice trailed off for a moment as he took in his surroundings. "We're in an ally between Hatchico Street and Hateno Street, can you bring one of the less flashy cars and park near the entrance?" He asked, despite knowing that she would do as requested.

"Of course Saguru, I take it Kuroba-Kun is feeling much better?" Baaya asked, Golden eyes glanced towards Kaito, noting how the teen had fallen asleep.

"Sort of, it's hard to explain, but please keep what you're about to find out to yourself" He replied, glancing at the wings.

"Of course"

*

It had been somewhat difficult carrying Kaito down the ladder, thankfully he didn't weigh much and he'd found a rope to secure the teen into his back. It had been like wearing a heavy backpack with the way Kaito had unconsciously wrapped around him.

_ 'He's always had a horrible sense of personal space _ '

When he spotted Baaya, he peeked out of the ally before exiting when he noted that the street was empty. Swiftly he opened the back door and deposited Kaito inside before someone came around the corner. "Oh my..." Baaya's voice trailed off when she spotted the wings.

"I'll explain on the way" Saguru replied softly as he settled Kaito into the seat as gently as he could before buckling him in. He hoped that the position didn't further damage the magician's wings.

"What happened to the two of you?" Baaya questioned softly once Saguru was seated in the passenger seat. He looked down at himself in surprise, he'd forgotten about his minor injuries.

"I don't know how he got wings, but I'm assuming his illness stemmed from the sudden growth of them" The blond paused before continuing. "When I found out about them... Kuroba panicked and took off, he's not in a good mental place right now. He was scared of being outed and experimented on" He glanced back at the sleeping boy. "I think the state of his wings was intentional, he mentioned just chopping them off"

' _ I'm worried about what he would have done if I hadn't found out _ ...'

"Poor dear, to think he went through all that..." Baaya sighed softly, worrying for the teen. From everything she'd heard about him, she didn't believe he deserved it. "At least he has you on his side, or I should hope so"

Saguru smiled at the veiled threat. "I've told him I wouldn't use any of his secrets against him. I don't plan to back down on my word" Baaya nodded in acceptance.

"By secrets, do you mean he told you?" She prodded, knowing that her ward would know exactly what she was hinting at.

"Yes, though I do not know the reasons, I trust that there is an acceptable one" Saguru replied softly, he couldn't help but feel slight elation at being right.

_ 'It's a somewhat bittersweet way to be proven right _ '

"Instead Of Kuroba-Kun's home, I think we should take him to the manor. It would put less stress on him to know that his friend Nakamori-san wouldn't be able to find him" Baaya suggested, stopping at the red light.

Saguru hummed in thought. "He has doves, most of them can care for themselves, but one of the younger ones is still in training. I wouldn't want to put stress on her due to being in Watson's proximity..." Saguru replied, remembering how Kaito seemed to adore his doves.

"S'Fine... Tsuki can handle it..." Kaito yawned, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "She's probably following the car, just don't let them in the same room"

Saguru glanced back with a small smile. "Go back to sleep Kuroba, I'll make sure she makes it in" Kaito gave a tired nod before letting himself fall back asleep.


	14. Chapter 14

When they arrived at the Hakuba manor, Saguru noted that Kaito was still asleep. He contemplated waking him up, but decided that the teen would be better off staying asleep.

' _ Kuroba has slept a lot lately, I wonder if it's because of his recent change or if it will be permanent _ '

He figured that it was more likely due to suddenly growing wings, it had to of used up his energy. "Baaya, I'm going to take Kuroba to one of the guest rooms near my own" The blond stated quietly as he scooped Kaito up and shifted him onto his back.

"Oh dear, but you'd have to climb the stairs with Kuroba-kun, is he not too heavy?" Baaya asked, opening the front door for him. She had noted how scrawny Kaito was but still figured that he weighed a good amount.

"No it's fine Baaya, Kuroba seems to weigh a lot less than expected" Saguru gave her a reassuring smile. "I think his bones are hollow like those of a bird" He added as he removed his own shoes, Baaya swiftly slipping off Kaito's.

_ 'I just hope that they are not as fragile, his wings obviously seem to be, but I hope that his base skeletal structure is at least sturdier than them _ ...'

He inwardly cringed as he headed up the stairs, imagining how easy Kaito could become seriously hurt if his bones were indeed as fragile as his wings. One mop swipe from Aoko would cripple him, one wrong tumble would do the same.

"I assume that some non invasive tests will be done with Kuroba-kun's consent?" Baaya questioned, following Saguru up the stairs, she had swiftly grabbed a first aid kit from the entrance. There were multiple kits throughout the house due to Saguru being a detective.

"Indeed, Kuroba was wary at the first mention of tests, but I told him that they were to be non invasive. One of his biggest fears right now is becoming a lab experiment" Saguru stated as they reached the top of the stairs, he didn't envy Kaito's position.

' _ It's a very valid fear, there are a lot of people who wouldn't see Kuroba as a person, instead he'd just be a new thing to learn about _ '

"Its a good thing that summer break is starting, that way Kuroba-kun's disappearance won't be noticed as much" Saguru blinked at Baaya's words, he had completely forgotten about summer break.

"We are indeed lucky for that fact, Kuroba can call Nakamori-san and tell her he's travelling" The blond replied as he entered the guest room beside his own room, thankfully it had been recently cleaned by Baaya.

Saguru gently deposited the brunette onto the bed, at first he was going to lay him on his stomach, but decided that he needed to tend to the new injuries first.

' _ I think the main source of his pain was due to how his wings were bound, he seemed okay in the car _ '

"Young master, why don't you let me tend to your injuries and then you go sleep" Baaya stated softly as she sat the teen on the bed and opened the first aid kit. "I'll tend to Kuroba-kun's hands properly while you rest, it looks as if you haven't slept in a while" Saguru opened his mouth to object before closing it in defeat. He could never beat Baaya in an argument, especially when it concerned his health.

"Thank you Baaya" Saguru replied, pulling up his pant legs to reveal his scrapes. He was looking forward to the rest.

*

When Kaito awoke, the first thing he noted was that he didn't exactly recognize the room, but the furniture style seemed familiar. After a few moments of thought and remembering, he concluded that he was in one of the guest rooms in Saguru's house.

' _ My back doesn't hurt as much _ ...'

He slowly sat up and glanced back at his wings, they were swathed in bandages and splinted. Kaito didn't know what to think of this, there wasn't a real reason for them to be tended to since he was going to find a way to get rid of them.

_ 'Stupid magical gem _ ...'

The magician scowled, he didn't like magic, most of his experiences with it were directed towards him with malicious intent.

_ 'Wait magic, Akako _ !'

He felt a very faint hope grow in him at the thought of the class witch, it wasn't a lot of hope though. Kaito was somewhat afraid of what the red witch would ask for in return for her services.

_ 'I refuse to give her my heart _ '

With the new potential in mind, he slid out of the bed, taking note of the change of clothes on the dresser beside the bed. With a flick of his wrist, he was out of his pyjamas and was instead wearing a grey button up t-shirt and black slacks. The magician raised a brow at how he hadn't noticed that Saguru had cut the back of his pyjamas into a low dip to allow his wings to fit, the same had been done with his current shirt.

_ 'I guess I'm stuck with button ups until everything is fixed. I doubt Hakuba would allow me to bind my wings and I can't fit a normal shirt over them _ '

Now dressed and feeling much cleaner, Kaito silently made his way down the stairs, he knew the layout from previous illegal visits as Kaitou Kid.

When Kaito glanced into the kitchen he spotted Saguru eating some pancakes at the table. A mischievous grin crossed over his face as he silently snuck up behind the blond. "Hey Hakuba!" He chirped, suppressing a laugh when said person jumped.

"Kuroba" Saguru sighed, calming his nerves. He had expected Kaito to still be asleep for a while. His gaze glanced over the other and he was relieved to see that Kaito's skin tone was almost back to normal. "You seem well rested" He noted with a small smile.


	15. chapter 15

"I actually feel a lot better today" Kaito supplied happily, taking a seat in one of the chairs adjacent to Saguru.

Saguru lifted a bowl on the table to reveal a plate full of chocolate chip pancakes. "That is quite the relief, though, I have a thought..." Kaito tilted his head as a signal to continue. "Birds don't do well health wise when stressed" He relayed as he watched Kaito drizzle chocolate syrup on his pancakes.

_ 'My assumption of him having a sweet tooth is right it seems _ ...'

Kaito paused mid bite, eyes narrowing before shrugging. "That's actually something to look into, I remember reading about stress killing birds when I took over caring for my doves" The brunette replied with a grimace before continuing to eat.

_ 'Hopefully stress will at the very most make him ill and not cause him to seemingly randomly drop dead _ '

"And your situation is one that would have caused you a lot of stress" Saguru added, as he finished up his breakfast. Kaito was surprisingly already done as well.

"I'm usually good with stress" The magician grinned as he magicked the dirty dishes into the sink, somehow making the tap run to rinse them. Saguru raised a brow at the unexpected magic before turning back towards Kaito.

"True, I'd imagine your nightly activities are both a source and relief for stress" The blond stated with a smirk which Kaito returned with one of his own.

"I want to ask about your reasons for being Kaitou Kid, however I will wait until you're ready to tell me" The blond paused, taking in how Kaito had at first tensed then relaxed as he continued speaking. "Though I would at least like to ask if your condition is by any chance related to your illegal activities" He finished.

_ 'He seemed fine during the Shining Star heist _ '

"The Shining Star was apparently a magical gem, it's lore said that it could take the worthy to the heavens" Kaito motioned towards his wings with a lazy swipe. "Apparently that means wings"

"Normally I would say that you're trying to make a fool of me Kuroba... However the fact that you have wings so soon after the heist is leading me to believe you" Saguru replied with a grimace, he didn't like the fact that magic is real.

' _ Was that one time when Koizumi-san turned Someone into a snail not actually a dream _ ?'

He couldn't help but frown as he remembered doing nothing but watch her toss the snail into a pond before walking away.

"Yeah, I didn't even believe in magic at first" The magician replied softly.

"What made you believe in magic then? By your words, it means that you believed in it before you grew wings" The blond mused, it wasn't surprising that the magician was stating that his 'magic' wasn't actual magic.

"Akako..." Kaito grimaced at her name. "She used a voodoo doll on me, and then tried to burn me alive since I wouldn't accept her magical love slave chocolate" A shiver ran through the winged teen's frame at the memory.

"Koizumi-san knows magic?" Saguru asked, dreading the answer. At the brunette's grim nod, he let out a sigh. "I think I witnessed her commit murder, I just walked away thinking that I was hallucinating"

Kaito gave him a sympathetic smile. "It's not your fault, nobody would have believed you. That or you would have met the same fate" The blond blinked, surprised at the sympathy.

"I now understand why you always seemed to avoid Koizumi-san and call her a witch" Saguru felt uneasy at missing that clue, Kaito wasn't one to verbally attack others without provocation which Akako apparently gave plenty of.

"Yes, she's obsessed with me. One day she's trying to make me her slave, then the other she's trying to kill me, and sometimes she tries to save me" The magician sighed, leaning back in the chair carefully.

"That is unfortunate" The blond replied, unsure as to how to react.

"No, what's unfortunate is that if we can't fix me with science, I'll need to ask for her help" Indigos darkened. "Akako almost always asks for a price"

' _ So she could refuse to help unless Kuroba gives himself to her... That is a scary thought _ '

"I will do my best to prevent that, the both of us are highly intelligent and skilled in both medicine and chemistry" The blonde offered, truly concerned about what Akako would do to Kaito.

"Thank you Hakuba" The brunette paused in thought for a few seconds before continuing. "Is there any... Tests that we can do here?" The magician's voice was low as he stared into the table.

_ 'Kuroba really doesn't want tests _ '

"I believe that I have the equipment necessary in my lab, it also doubles as a medical room since science can sometimes be dangerous" Saguru stood up from his chair, motioning the magician to follow him. "We should start with an X-ray then an ultrasound, and maybe a single blood sample if you feel up to it. We can do the ultrasound while the X-ray film is developing" The blond replied, noting how Kaito shivered at the mention of blood samples.

"I thought you couldn't leave the dark room until the X-ray was complete" The blond smirked at Kaito's knowledge.

"Normally yes, but I'll put on my night vision goggles and leave you in the dark for a few minutes as I set it in the processor" Kaito nodded at the words, he was fine with being in the dark and knew Saguru wouldn't have suggested it if he wasn't.

"That makes sense, I always get bored while waiting for the film to be ready" The magician admitted.

"It is a good thing that you were unable to leave the dark room, I fear for whoever would have come across you while truly bored" The blond drawled as he led the brunette down a staircase Kaito had never bothered to go down before.


	16. Chapter 16

"Why are these stairs different from the rest in the house?" The magician questioned, noting that they were plain but smooth concrete instead of carpeted.

"To prevent possible lab fires from spreading to the rest of the house, it's much easier for carpet to spread fire than concrete" The blond replied as they came to a steel door with a passcode. Saguru swiftly typed in the code, not bothering to tell Kaito to look away. It would only encourage the other to see it as a challenge.

"Ah, I should have thought of that" Kaito sighed as he followed Saguru through the door. When the blond turned on the lights Kaito wasn't sure what to think of the lab. It was all clean and had various metal lab tables and steel cupboards everywhere. He glanced over to the left and saw a door with the red medical cross on it. "It's much more shiny than my lab" The magician blinked.

_ 'I wish I had the room for something like this, I could run so many experiments at once _ '

"Well your civilian self has no excuse to have one, it would be hard to explain the existence of a lab in your house Kuroba" Saguru smirked as they headed over towards the medical door, it pushed open easily.

"The potential for so many goo concoctions..." The magician sighed dramatically, hanging his head.

' _ Maybe I could sneak in here _ ...'

"You may not use this lab for pranks"  The blond drawled, sensing Kaito's thoughts. The brunette gave him an innocent grin.

""I would never" Saguru scoffed at his words as he motioned for Kaito to sit on a soft bed, which the magician gracefully slid onto. He noted that it was void of any metal pieces.

"I'm thinking that a single full body X-ray would be optimal for less radiation exposure, however I'd like for your wings to be separately scanned as well. We're just checking your bone density and the damage to your wings" Saguru stated as he dragged over a portable X-ray machine from a large cabinet.

_ 'Yeah, radiation is something I want to minimize _ '

"Then maybe four scans in total? My upper body, lower body, then each wing. That way it's more clear" Kaito offered, moving a wheeled cabinet out of the way with his foot. "Since we're not looking for cracks anywhere besides my wings it should be okay"

Saguru nodded at his words as he plugged in the X-ray machine. "That seems applicable, I already have more than four cassettes ready and the film processor is starting up and should be ready by the time we're done" He stated.

Kaito glanced around. "I don't see anything to protect yourself from the scatter radiation" He mused, only seeing a few lead blankets and goggles hung up on the wall.

Saguru picked up a remote. "This will bring down a wall to separate me from you while the X-ray is underway. It's easily retractable and much better than hauling around lead clothes" The blond answered with a smirk, lead was heavy.

"Okay, I just didn't want you getting fried" Kaito smirked as he put on the goggles before laying down on his stomach, allowing the blond to drape one of the heavy lead blankets over his entire upper body and head. The pressure on his wings was highly uncomfortable and somewhat painful but he bared with it.

' _ Extra protection for my eyes _ '

He heard a few clicks then the sound of moving metal, he stayed absolutely still for a few minutes until he felt the weight being lifted from him.

"It's stuffy under there" Kaito let out a huff as he watched Saguru swap the used cassette with a new one.

"True, but it provides more coverage" The blond sympathetically replied as he draped the blanket over Kaito's lower body. He then pulled out lead gloves and tossed them to Kaito who gratefully slipped them on. "I'd prefer for you to wear a backwards thyroid shield but it might block important connections in you wings" Saguru explained as he repositioned the machine before backing up and letting a wall fall between them.

' _ I'm sure I'll be okay just this once, at least my hands are covered _ '

When the X-Ray was completed, the wall retracted and Saguru stepped in to swap out the cassette with a fresh one. "Kuroba, I really would like to ask something" Saguru trailed off as he motioned for the other to get off the bed.

"What is it?" The brunette queried as he slid out from under the lead blanket.

"Did you intentionally damage your wings?" Saguru's voice was soft as he adjusted the target site size of the machine.

Indigos looked away from Saguru. "I wasn't thinking clearly... I was planning to crush them enough that they were just bone fragments that I could easily bind away and remove little my little..." The blond felt ill at Kaito's words.

"I am highly grateful that I managed to find out before you continued to harm yourself Kuroba" He breathed as he motioned for Kaito to crouch beside the bed so that it was at shoulder height.

The magician let out a soft hiss as the blond gently grabbed his left wing and stretched it across the table. "That's not very pleasant" He growled through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry" The blond replied, wrapping the teen up with a lead blanket before draping another onto his head, completely covering Kaito except for the wing. He then stepped back, the wall already starting to fall.

' _ At least he's being as gentle as possible _ '

After repeating the same thing with the other wing, both teens put away the heavy equipment before switching in a fresh cassette. It was vital to always have a cassette ready in an X-ray machine for emergencies.

"I really hope they turn out well" The brunette yawned as he helped Saguru push the X-ray machine back into its cabinet. "X-ray film is really expensive and I don't want to waste it"

Saguru nodded in agreement, he had enough money that it wouldn't matter, yet he didn't want to do a repeat. "I will process the films and refill the cassettes, instead of keeping the lights off, why don't I just stay in there while you rest" The detective offered, having noticed how the teen seemed a little stressed. Kaito nodded thankfully.

' _ I hate X-Rays _ '


	17. Chapter 17

Kaito was relieved for the subtle offer of a break, he felt his wings shift as he laid back on the bed.

' _ I feel almost no pain in my wings at all, just a dull ache _ '

It was nice to lay on his back with surprisingly little discomfort, he briefly wondered if magic had something to do with it.

' _ I'm already bored _ ...'

With a sigh, he hopped up off of the bed, the magician wasn't one to be idle outside of Kid work. Indigos glanced around at the labeled drawers, an idea popping into his head.

_ 'I might as well do my bi-monthly blood test _ '

Kaito tested his blood at least twice a month due to how he often got injured as Kid. There were so many diseases to be caught by having an open wound in a sketchy area. The last thing he needed was to catch aids and not know it, resulting in him spreading it to others if he became injured.

With his mind made up, he snatched a fresh 100ml syringe and 21 gauge needle from the drawers, placing them on the counter unopened. He then found one red capped and one lavender capped blood tubes, a dropper, two slides, and the required staining ingredients; the fixative agent methanol, eosin dye, and methylene blue.

He pulled out a centrifuge from a cabinet and plugged it in. With a grimace, Kaito swabbed his elbow crease with alcohol before wiping it all away. The magician then placed the needle into his vein before slowly pulling the plunger until 20ml of blood was collected. Kaito then removed the needle and capped it off, removing the needle from the syringe and throwing it into the sharps biohazard bin.

' _ I took twice as much as I normally do, hopefully it's enough for other tests _ '

The magician then deposited 10ml each into the red and lavender capped blood tubes, the red had no coagulant but the lavender had the common EDTA Anti-coagulent to preserve the blood for a while.

' _ Now I need to wait a while before putting them in the centrifuge _ ...'

He plopped the used syringe into a biohazard garbage before setting the tubes upright in the rack. He glanced towards the dark room and smirked at how the blond was still stuck in it.

*

When Saguru left the dark room, he was surprised to see Kaito looking through a microscope. Curious, he sidled up behind the other to see a blood smear beside him which meant the other smear was probably being looked at.

_ 'At least Kuroba wasn't destructively active _ '

"Those are really well made smears, I hadn't expected you to be well versed in them" The magician looked up from the microscope, blinking at Saguru's words.

"I get injured a lot in unsavoury places so I have committed myself to bi-monthly blood tests" The brunette smirked.

' _ That is very smart of him, something I wouldn't have expected from Kuroba, though I should have since he's Kid _ '

"Have you found any abnormalities?" Saguru inquired, hoping for a negative.

"A slightly higher white blood cell count but that's to be expected after recovery" Kaito shrugged, flipping off the microscope before swiping the lens with special microscope lens cleanser and wipes. Surprisingly tissues were too rough for the lens and would scratch it. "There's also some capped with a lavender top in the medical mini fridge" The brunette waved a lazy hand towards the fridge.

"That is good to know" The blond replied as he handed over the complete X-rays to Kaito. "Your wings are apparently already completely healed, and I know that they were broken yesterday" Kaito let out a distressed whistle when he saw that his shoulder blades had grown into the first segment of his wings instead of them being attached by a joint.

"My bones are more hollow like a bird's..." Kaito sighed, he'd known however physical proof made it much more real.

"Indeed, however they are more dense than a real bird's thankfully, and not as fragile as your wings" Saguru gave a nod, he was pleased to find that Kaito wouldn't break a bone if he somehow managed to trip.

_ 'There is less of a chance of needing to go to the hospital now _ '

"Even if I got rid of my wings, it'd be a pain to steer my hang glider..." The magician whined as he handed the X-rays back.

"You'll have to start carrying weights" Saguru suggested.

"But they'd have to be so heavy!" Kaito grimaced at the thought of carrying two fifty pound weights everywhere. "They'd rip any pockets I put them in due to the condensed weight! I don't want to become buff!" Kaito huffed, shaking his head. "A Phantom Thief is supposed to be slender, I can't disguise as girls easily if I'm macho!"

Saguru snorted, covering a laugh as he imagined the other as buff. "It definitely would not suit you"

' _ Kuroba's condensed muscle suits his build much more than if they were to bulge out _ '

"I know... Maybe if my clothes were weighted? I'd be doing acrobatics in them so maybe the muscle would be more condensed than if I were continuously carrying heavy weights?" Kaito murmured in thought.

"That would be expensive, having all of your clothes done like that" Saguru narrowed his eyes. "We could use vibration to change your bone density, but then you might not be able to fly with your wings"

"I don't mind, I'm not planning to keep them, I've lived most of my life without them" Kaito shrugged.

_ 'It's a shame, I'm sure that if they were able to be... Magically retracted Kuroba would have been ecstatic about having wings _ '

"Since your wings are from the result of magic, could there be a way to magically retract them?" Kaito smirked at how Saguru grimaced at the mention of magic.

"I've been wishing them gone this whole time, but they're still there" The brunette sighed, glancing back at his black wings.

"Maybe you've got to think about putting them away instead of wishing them gone?" Saguru suggested, unsure. He obviously wasn't well versed in magic, but anything could be possible.


	18. Chapter 18

"You seriously believe that would work?" The magician questioned, raising a brow at the other's words. He hadn't expected Saguru to offer magical advice.

Saguru shrugged "Magical rocks and witches exist, anything is worth a try Kuroba" The blond drawled, earning him a smirk.

' _ He does have a point, please work _ '

Kaito closed his eyes and imagined his wings slipping out of existence, when he reopened them, his wings were still there. "Didn't work" The brunette flopped down onto the bed, wings twitching.

Saguru eyed the splints. "We should remove the splints and bandages from your wings since they're healed" The blond wanted to know how the wings moved when unrestricted.

Kaito let out a tired sigh as he felt the blond removing both splints and bandages, it felt somewhat nice feeling the other's fingers move through his feathers.

' _ Nice _ ...'

The blond noted how Kaito's body seemed to almost go limp as he was removing the medical supplies. When a soft hum escaped from Kaito, Saguru eyed the wings, before gently raking his fingers through the soft feathers.

*

' _ His feathers are really smooth and soft _ '

Saguru gently trailed his fingers along where the wings connected to Kaito, feeling the other shiver under his touch. Curious, he glanced over towards Kaito's face to see that he looked completely blissed, eyes half lidded and with a content almost kitten like smile.

_ 'His wings seem to be extremely sensitive, Kuroba would never normally let me pet him _ ...'

A smirk crossed over Saguru's features as he continued to thread his fingers through feathers. He could imagine Kaito's embarrassed reaction once he finished, it seemed as if the magician wasn't really all ' 'there'.

_ 'The great Kaitou Kid taken down from having his wings pet... Kuroba is going to be angry when he finds out, angry then embarrassed. A nice harmless revenge for him always dying me' _

*

After ten minutes of wing petting, Kaito was completely out of it, his indigo eyes had a slight glaze that concerned Saguru. It had appeared after two minutes and he was now only continuing to see what would happen if pet for too long. He figured that it was best to do so while in a controlled setting rather than at an inopportune time.

_ 'This is actually dangerous, if he ever was found out, the person could just pet Kuroba's wings and Kuroba might just drop to the ground limply... Thankfully his wings don't seem to be an erogenous zone _ '

Saguru would have jolted back at the first sign of Kaito becoming aroused, he wanted to mess with him, not violate him. He figured that if his wings had been an erogenous zone, petting them would be considered inappropriate. Thankfully it just made the magician extremely complacent.

The blond removed his fingers from the feathers, wanting to see how long it would take Kaito to snap out of the weird blissed out trance.

' _ Kuroba would normally be a nightmare to keep restrained if he were to be captured... With him like this though, all they'd have to do is knock him out then continuously stimulate the sensation of his wings being pet, he'd never escape on his own _ '

Saguru closed his eyes, he wouldn't let that scenario happen, he'd make sure Kaito was never caught. He glanced towards the limp form before heading towards the fridge, he'd do some hormone and DNA tests on the stored blood.

*

Indigos blinked up at concerned golden irises. It was confusing how Saguru's face had morphed from concerned to relieved. "Hakuba?..." The magician inquired, his memory was a little foggy.

_ 'He was removing the splints and bandages from my wings and then... I don't remember _ '

"Kuroba, do you feel okay?" Saguru questioned, concerned by how slow Kaito was in sitting up.

"Yeah, I just feel... Spacey..." The brunette's words were slightly slurred. Kaito glanced over when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "What happened? I don't remember going to sleep"

"You went into a trance when I ran my fingers through your feathers, it only took two minutes for you to enter it" The blond paused, feeling guilty since what he had done was technically an experiment. "I continued for ten minutes before stopping, you were completely complacent" Golden irises glanced towards his watch. "You were in the trance for six hours" Kaito opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn't think of a proper response.

_ 'I was out for a whole six hours because he pet my wings _ ?...'

"I am extremely sorry Kuroba, I was curious..." Saguru's voice trailed off as he clenched his fist. "If I had known that petting your wings would result in that, I would not have put you in such a vulnerable position. I only intended to receive a bit of information to tease you with" Kaito nodded at Saguru's words, he could hear the evident regret and concern in his voice.

"That's scary... Very scary" Thoughts of being easily taken down and captured flashed through his mind. "But at least we found out in a safe way" Kaito shivered, his wings trembling. He had known his wings were sensitive, he just hadn't realized just how sensitive they were. It made sense why he blacked out while crushing them. He gave a small smile. "At least it was you, I know you wouldn't do anything horrible to me"

The blond returned the smile. "That doesn't change the fact that what I did was technically a test without you permission"

_ 'That's true, but he's a detective, curiosity is a given _ '

"I'll forgive you since it wasn't invasive and you were just petting me" Kaito picked up a fallen feather and twirled it in his fingers. "I would have done the exact same thing if our roles were switched" He grinned "Possible embarrassing blackmail? I'm always in, I may not have used it but it would have been hilarious to see you flustered every time I brought it up"

Saguru scoffed "You do realize I'm the one who has the blackmail?"

A wicked grin crossed over Kaito's face. "It's not embarrassing for me, I know I'm irresistible, you couldn't help but pet me Haku-chan" Kaito cackled at Saguru's flustered face.


	19. Chapter 19

"You are insufferable!" Saguru hissed, covering his face with his hands. Leave it up to Kaito to use embarrassment to make someone feel less guilty.

"Poor Hakuba" Kaito snickered as he headed towards the door. He was hungry and eating near lab and medical equipment wasn't something he wanted to do. "Let's go find food"

_ 'I wonder how much of his current cheer is an act _ ?'

"Very well, it has been a busy day and is nearing around dinner time" Saguru admitted as he followed the magician up the stairs to the main living area. The lab door locking behind him.

"Kuroba-kun, Young Master, I was just about to send a message for you to come up" Baaya greeted with a smile, Tsuki perched happily on her shoulder. The little dove was nuzzling her.

"Dinner is ready?" The blond questioned, spotting a second dove on an armchair. He wondered how many doves were in the manor.

"Yes, I've made some nice pizza, half pepperoni and half vegetarian. I remember you mentioning once that Kuroba-kun had recently become a vegetarian after watching a slaughterhouse commercial" Baaya replied with a smile as she led the two teens towards the kitchen.

_ 'It wasn't much of a surprise, Kuroba is weak hearted when it comes to violence. He was extremely pale and quiet that day _ '

"Yay pizza! Comfort food! Thanks" Kaito cheered, skipping over to his seat, pizza already on their plates. Kaito's pizza had spinach, pineapple, mushrooms, and onions.

' _ Baaya doesn't make pizza often, it was a good choice to lighten Kuroba's mood _ '

"It smells delicious Baaya, Thank you" Saguru thanked, grateful that she seemed to have taken to Kaito. Almost everyone liked Kaito, even Saguru had grudgingly admired his intelligence since the beginning.

"It's no problem Saguru, it's fun to make pizza once in a while and I assumed that Kuroba-kun would take well to it" She smiled as she took her seat, she had a feeling that it was going to be much more lively with the magician around.

"Ah, please call me Kaito" The magician flashed a smile before digging into his pizza.

"Very well, I will remember that Kaito" Baaya smiled. "By the way, I am quite curious about why you two were down in the labs for so long?" She glanced towards Kaito. "Saguru didn't do anything you didn't like did he? He sometimes gets carried away whenever he's curious"

The blond gaped, spluttering at the loose accusation. "Baaya! I wouldn't hurt him"

"I was unaware and at your mercy for six hours..." Kaito trailed off, eyes gleaming.

_ 'He wouldn't _ ...'

Baaya let out a gasp, hand coming up to her mouth. "Saguru! I think that we need to have a talk after dinner" She turned her attention back towards the brunette. "You're not hurt are you? He wasn't too hard on you?"

"K-Kuroba! Stop misleading Baaya!" Kaito blinked innocently at Saguru's distressed tone.

"What are you talking about? I was very vulnerable while in a daze" He leaned towards him squinting "What were you insinuating?" A grin.

"I will not comment, my words will be twisted" Saguru sighed, noticing the mischievous gleam in both of their eyes.

_ 'I forgot how Baaya sometimes gets like this _ ...'

"Awww, the fun is over" The brunette whined, finishing off his plate and magicking it into the sink completely rinsed.

"I've noticed that your wings seem completely fine now, do you have advanced healing to go with them?" Baaya inquired, Kaito gave a small shrug.

"My wings heal quickly, but I'm not sure about the rest of me" Kaito glanced at his bandages hands, they still stung. "My hands still hurt so I'd like to say it's only my wings, but I can't be certain that they're not healing quicker but not as quickly as my wings"

"How much mobility do your wings have?" At Saguru's question, Kaito hopped out of his chair and away from the table flailing his wings out before giving them a few flaps.

"A lot" Kaito gave a small grimace as he folded them neatly behind his back. "It feels really weird using them"

' _ It's understandable considering he has two new limbs _ '

"Do you think you could fly?" Baaya excitedly asked.

"Maybe? I mean my bones wouldn't change density for no reason right? It was probably to make me light enough for my wings" Kaito replied softly. The blond noted the faint twitch in the other's wings and how his head lowered slightly.

_ 'He doesn't want to talk about flying? I thought that he would at least try once before he got rid of his wings _ '

"Are you not interested in trying?" Saguru inquired, curious in Kaito's sudden mood shift.

"Not really, If I'm seen I could be put in a lot of danger, it's best to hide out until everything is fixed" The brunette sat back down in his chair.

_ 'I hope we can fix this, but what if we can't _ ?'

"But what if it can't be fixed?" Baaya questioned softly.

' _ Baaya _ ?!'

"It will be" Kaito confirmed.

"Kaito Dear, not everything can be fixed, sometimes there's no answer" Baaya replied softly, Saguru gawked.

"I will find one" Kaito stood up from his chair and gave a small wave. "I'm tired, I'm going to sleep, night" With that, the teen disappeared.

"Baaya! How could you?" The blond questioned, appalled by the uncharacteristically harshness of her words.

_ 'I can't believe Baaya would say that _ '

"He's a really sweet boy Saguru, if he puts all of his heart into a solution that may not exist he'll eventually break" She paused to let her words sink in before continuing. "If not all of his heart is looking for a solution there will still be some of him left to salvage when he breaks. We are talking about the possible loss of both of his identities, it could destroy him" She finished sadly.

Saguru let out a tired sigh, he knew she was right. If they couldn't find a solution, Kuroba Kaito would be dead as a person in society, he'd have to live in seclusion.

' _ Kuroba wouldn't do well locked up, even if it was to protect him _ '

He knew that Kaito would most likely die if he was kept caged up, the magician was a free spirit and the stress of containment would kill him. He clenched his fists.

_ 'I refuse to let that happen _ '


	20. Chapter 20

"Kuroba?" Kaito poked his head out from under the blanket at Saguru's words. The blond was standing in the doorway. Saguru had waited an hour before checking up on him.

"I'm trying to sleep" The brunette whined, bundling the blanket around himself even tighter.

_ 'I want to be alone _ '

The blond rolled his eyes and entered the room. "Kuroba we both know that it's not even close to the time you normally fall asleep, especially with how much rest you've gotten recently" Saguru breathed, crouching down next to the bed.

"I'm actually tired" Kaito sighed, golden irises narrowed as the blond placed his left hand onto Kaito's forehead, frowning at the temperature.

"Your mood really does seem to affect your health, you have a slight fever" The detective closed his eyes, he had hoped that the magician had been faking.

"That sucks, I'll be betrayed by my own emotions despite my acting skills" The brunette grumbled, seeing no point in acting.

_ 'I'll be useless in important situations... How can I take down Snake and the other's if I fall ill right when things get tense _ ?'

"You will be fine, you can practice temporarily switching off your emotions" Saguru suggested softly. "Though only temporarily and in dangerous situations, I wouldn't want you to always block off your emotions" The blond grimaced at the thought of Kaito blocking off all of his emotions. He didn't like that idea at all.

"I would never detach myself from my emotions, people who do that too much eventually become monsters" The brunette replied softly.

_ 'Emotions are what stops many people from harming others, if I didn't care... I could hurt a lot of people _ ...'

"Good, you would be too scary to deal with if you had no emotions" Saguru admitted, he knew just how dangerous the teen could be. Instead of using sleeping gas, he could use poison gas, or swiftly slit throats instead of knocking people out. Kaito could waltz up innocently in a disguise and kill anyone he wanted, or destroy whole corporations and government files with his technical skills. Thankfully the teen was non violent.

"I'll take that as a complement to my skills" The brunette yawned, his wings giving a little twitch as a chill ran through him.

_ 'I need to practice with my wings to stop them from moving unnecessarily while I have them, they give too much away _ '

"That was how it was intended" Saguru gave a small smile. "Even before I've always had a grudgingly great amount of respect for your talents, despite how I hated how they were put to use"

"I guess since you admitted first, I'll admit that you're not actually a bad detective like I've always said you were" The magician gave a smirk, his head was hurtling a little less.

Saguru rolled his eyes. "I already knew that, you're not the type of person to truly verbally attack others. If you were, I doubt your weird courting rituals would be as effective against Nakamori-san"

_ 'Courting rituals _ ?!'

"You think I like Aoko?!?" The brunette swiftly sat up, his face twisted into one of disgust. "That's like..." He gave a dramatic full body shiver. "That's like incest! She's my little sister!" He hissed in disgust.

The blond blinked, processing the new information. "Siblings do not flip each other's skirts to look at their underwear"

Kaito shook his head. "It's called teasing! Siblings do that all the time" Flashing a smile. He'd once had a crush on Aoko, but it quickly disappeared after he became Kaitou Kid, he didn't want to be with someone who he'd have to continuously lie to.

_ 'It's best to be truthful, lies can cause a lot of pain. It never would have worked out between me and Aoko. Even if she accepted me, she'd have had to lie to her dad' _

"Then why did you get angry when I attempted to ask Nakamori-san out that one time?" The blond questioned, remembering how Kaito had intentionally put himself between the two.

"You were the new foreign person who I knew nothing about, I wasn't going to let Aoko go out with someone suspicious" Kaito replied with a smirk. "You expressed interest in her shortly after meeting her, which is very suspicious"

The blond nodded, now seeing Kaito's previous actions in a different light. Kaito was a self appointed protective older brother to Aoko. "Does Nakamori-san know of your intentions towards her?" He queried, remembering how Aoko seemed interested in the magician.

"Why wouldn't she? I insult her all the time" Saguru grimaced.

"Yes, but it's a known thought that boys tend to pick on the girl they have a crush on" Saguru met Kaito's gaze. "Did you explicitly tell her that you see her as a sister?" At the magician's silence the detective let out a sigh. "Kuroba, you may have a high IQ, but you are an idiot. Nakamori-san has a crush on you"

' _ Ewww me and Ahoko _ !'

"But she's always trying to maim me! We couldn't possibly be in a proper relationship" Kaito yelped, thinking back on how whenever he did something that she didn't like, she'd chase after him with a mop or just smack him.

Saguru narrowed his eyes in thought, the magician's words were true. He'd seen Aoko hit him when all he'd done was show up late. "That is true, Nakamori-san wouldn't be very good for you as a partner without some anger management help first" Saguru replied, thinking about what would have happened if Kaito had actually pursued her. Kaito would have always defended her against any mentions of abuse since he'd see it as something normal in their relationship.

"She's not  _ that _ bad" The magician denied.

"Kuroba, now that I think about it, a lot of the times she attacks you, you don't deserve it. Yes you antagonize her a lot, but that doesn't mean it's okay for her to try to physically harm you" Saguru stated, the magician gave a small shrug.

"That's just how she is, don't worry, I'm quick enough to dodge and smart enough not to court her" Kaito smirked.


	21. chapter 21

The blond frowned at Kaito's words, feeling grateful that at least the brunette wasn't going to pursue Aoko. "Kuroba, you're not always going to be fast enough, didn't Nakamori-san actually get you with her mop the day of the heist?"

_ 'He hadn't even been faking the impact, Kuroba had actually been caught off guard _ '

"Ah that was my fault, I should have been paying better attention" Kaito laughed, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. His wings ruffling slightly.

"You should not have to always be on guard for an attack" The blond stressed, always being on guard was bound to both tire and stress out anyone, stress was bad for Kaito.

"No I actually need to pay more attention..." The magician looked away. "My right eye is actually fake so I need to pay more attention, I have a smaller field of vision than most people..."

' _ His eye is fake _ ?!'

Horror filtered through the blond as he hopped onto the bed, grabbing Kaito's face to turn it towards him as he leaned in to examine the eye, ignoring the startled squawk from the boy below him. As he stared into startled indigos, he noticed the faintest of unnatural gleams in the right eye. "What happened..." Saguru whispered, releasing his hold and leaning back from the magician.

_ 'I never once noticed he was half blind _ ...'

"I got shot in the eye by Scorpion during the egg heist" Kaito paused scratching his cheek. "Well actually my monocle was shot, some of the glass got in my eye and since I didn't get proper medical help right away I had to remove it or the infection would have killed me"

"Why didn't you get proper medical help right away?!" The blond couldn't believe the stupidity of the other, he'd heard that he'd been shot, however Kaito had shown up seemingly completely fine afterwards.

_ 'I never noticed that he had been injured... He must have been in a lot of pain _ '

The magician gave Saguru's left shoulder a comforting pat. "I needed to make sure Scorpion got caught and the egg ended up with its rightful owner" He flashed a cheeky grin. "It's fine, it rarely ever hurts, and it was  _ really _ fun designing an eye that reacted to both nerve impulses and outside stimulus"

Saguru raised his right hand and touched under Kaito's right eye, he could feel realistic fake skin, most likely covering his scars. "By your words, that means it does occasionally hurt" He lifted away his hand away.

"Only occasional phantom pains, I've had worse" Kaito shrugged, he wasn't sensitive about his eye, the only reason he hadn't faked an accident to explain it was due to him not wanting to worry Aoko or his mother.

"Kuroba, I don't understand how you can shrug this off. You lost an eye" Saguru knew that if he himself lost an eye, he'd be terribly upset whenever it was brought up.

' _ He must have had difficulty gauging distance, but I never noticed any _ ...'

"There are worse things than losing an eye" Kaito grimaced as he imagined his greatest fear.

Saguru raised a skeptical brow. "Besides death and other loss of limbs, pray tell me what you would consider worse"

The brunette shivered, wrapping his wings protectively around himself. "Fi—" His voice caught in his throat, he shook his head. "I have ichthyophobia" The brunette admitted softly. "It's stupid, and since I'm more scared of  _ them _ than anything. Everything else seems so small in comparison"

' _ He has Ichthyophobia? I never would have imagined Kuroba to have such a fear _ '

"It's not stupid Kuroba, phobias are serious and real" The detective stated, he had once read about phobias and the impact they could have on people for a case.

Kaito let out a bitter laugh. "Aoko makes fun of me, she chases me with  _ them _ " He felt a whole body shiver run through his frame. "I didn't even tell her, my mom told her so that Aoko could have payback. My mom wouldn't do that if it was serious..." Saguru closed his eyes, silently cursing both females, he couldn't believe that Aoko who apparently was crushing on Kaito would do that to him. He was suddenly glad that Kuroba Chikage was rarely around Kaito.

_ 'It's hard to believe that the two people who should be closest to Kuroba are actually really bad for him _ '

"You're wrong, what Nakamori-san has been doing to you regarding your phobia is completely uncalled for" Saguru replied, scooting a little closer to the other. "And by what your mother has done by telling Nakamori-san, and not telling her how serious it is, that is also unforgivable Kuroba" The blond added softly, he'd seen someone with a phobia of heights burn to death because they refused to jump out of a window to safety. "Phobias are serious, not stupid"

_ 'I've got to talk to Nakamori-keibu about his daughter, she's been unintentionally hurting Kuroba. I am sure he'll be able to get her to realize the seriousness of her actions _ '

"You're not lying..." Kaito whispered in shock after reading the blond. He had fully expected the other to laugh and make fun of him like everyone else who found out.

"You're right, I'm completely serious, I will not make fun of you for having a phobia" The blond gave him a warm smile before leaning in to give Kaito a hug, not bothering to comment on the tears falling down the magician's face.

"It's funny" Kaito started, his voice slightly wet. "A few days ago you were a nosey bastard, and now you're actually seeming like someone I'd try to be friends with if it wouldn't have endangered them" The winged boy leaned into the blond's hug, returning it with a sob.

"Then we are now friends" The blond replied softly, he had never imagined the amount of hurt that had been hidden under the magician's poker face.

"Then I'll call you Saguru, and you can call me Kaito" The brunette replied, his words muffled by the blond' shoulder.


	22. Chapter 22

Baaya peeked into Saguru's room and noted that he wasn't there, with a small smile she turned towards Kaito's room and peeked inside. Her heart melted at the sight of the two teens curled up together. She felt bad about what she had said to Kaito, but she knew it had to be said. It was better for her to say the harsh words and to let Saguru help the winged boy.

_ 'Hopefully Kaito can help heal Saguru's loneliness and Saguru can give him hope. I really want things to go well for those boys _ '

*

Kaito was warm, it felt nice. He let out a happy hum as he nuzzled into the warmth. When he felt skin he froze, indigos snapping open in fear. At the sight of the blond he felt himself relax, he'd thought there was a stranger in the bed. Instead, it was Suguru who had decided to wrap his arms around him like a teddy bear.

' _ Saguru makes a nice cuddle companion like my doves, though I should probably move to save him from embarrassment _ ...'

Kaito inwardly snickered as he imagined the horrified expression the other would have if he woke up snuggling Kaito, it was almost worth letting that happen.

' _ The poor guy wouldn't be able to look me in the face for days _ !'

With a grin, he smoothly slipped out of Saguru's arms and off of the bed, replacing himself with a pillow for Saguru to hug. There was too much to do for time to be wasted due to Saguru being embarrassed.

Kaito gave a long stretch, fanning his wings out and raising his arms upwards until he felt a nice strain before relaxing. He needed to regroup with his other doves before Saguru woke up. He wanted to watch how the blond cared for Watson.

' _ Taking care of a hawk is probably a lot different than taking care of cuddly doves _ '

He walked towards the window and went to slip out of it and onto the roof but paused when he remembered his wings. He'd be spotted easily during the day. With an annoyed sigh, he headed down the stairs towards the living room, he'd call his doves in through the window. On his way down, Tsuki settled on his head.

"Good morning Kaito, I put a bag of bird seed on the coffee table" Baaya greeted as she popped her head out of the kitchen.

"Thank you" The magician flashed her a grateful smile as he picked up the bag and opened it before walking towards the large window, thankfully the view from the street was blocked with many trees. He pushed the window open and let out a soft whistle before stepping back to let in the sudden swarm of doves.

_ 'I feel a little bad for neglecting them a bit _ '

There were ten doves now seated around the living room including Tsuki. "Mayu! Sora! Kala!" The magician called softly as he flicked a few seeds into the air, the three doves neatly snatched them from the air. "Kimi, Yanna, Maka" He called, repeating the motion before calling on the three remaining doves that had entered. "Zutto, Fuku, Tsuki" He laughed as he tossed out their portions.

"I had thought that you would have more than ten doves" Saguru stated as he looked into the living room.

"No, it's expensive keeping them all up to date on their shots, especially since they mostly free roam outside. I need to protect them from ticks and bird lice as well, a magician's assistant must be free of parasites" The magician stated proudly as he gave Kimi a few good scratches.

_ 'Ticks are so gross, I'm glad that they do a relatively good job at cleaning them out of their feathers _ '

Saguru nodded in understanding, taking care of ten doves was sure to be expensive if they were indeed cared for as well as they were. Kaito wasn't very rich so it was admirable what he did for his doves, people with more money did less than that for their pets.

"That is very understandable, it would not look good if your doves looked anything but healthy when they helped you perform" The blond agreed as he picked up one of the doves that Kaito had called Zutto. "And it's very responsible of you to have them all be the same gender" He knew it wouldn't be as bad as it would be if he had cats instead, but he still appreciated the thought.

"I didn't want to have to be finding proper homes for baby doves, I'd always be worrying about them" Kaito gaze a warm smile as he stroked Kimi.

"Kaito I checked on the results of the tests that I've done on the blood sample while you were out of it" Indigos immediately snapped to attention, beckoning the blond to continue. "Your DNA has been altered slightly to be more like that of a bird's and your hormones in the sample were unbalanced"

"I have been feeling a little weird..." The brunette murmured as he remembered how quickly his true emotions seemed to change.

"It is nothing to worry about however, the tests indicated that they would eventually settle down normally. The change of DNA just upset the balance temporarily" Saguru replied softly, he was relieved that bigger changes hadn't happened.

' _ So I'm officially part bird even if I remove my wings... I hope that I'll never have to have an official blood test _ '

"Am I incompatible with receiving blood transfusions now?" Kaito grimaced, he didn't get hurt too often, but he did take the occasional bullet to the chest or arm.

"You blood is still mostly human, which is why you noticed nothing wrong on the slides. So in theory you should be okay receiving, however I would have to advise you against donating" Saguru grimaced at what Kaito's blood could possibly do to someone else, it was just different enough that it could cause a bad reaction.

' _ Okay, I'm not planning to get shot so that should be fine for now _ '


	23. Chapter 23

Saguru closed his eyes in thought. He had hoped that the brunette's actual DNA had not been altered.

_ 'Even if we manage to remove the wings from him, he'd still be in danger if anyone got ahold of his blood _ '

"Kaito, I am not sure what to do now" Saguru admitted, they were trying to deal with magic by using science but it didn't seem to be working very well in terms of fixing Kaito's problems.

_ 'We've taken stock of his condition... But what now? We can't go around messing with his DNA _ '

Indigos lowered as Kaito put Kimi onto the coffee table. "We can't medically remove my wings without damaging my shoulder bones" He worried his lip slightly before continuing. "We need Akako but..." The magician let out a defeated sigh as he flopped backwards onto the couch. "I had been hoping that my wings were connected by a single joint instead of my shoulder blades growing"

The blond held in a shiver, the magician suddenly looked so small and vulnerable. "I am afraid that I have to agree with you, anything we tried to medically do to you could result in your system being further imbalanced" He replied softly.

_ 'He's going to end up with another fever at this rate _ ...'

"I don't know where Akako lives, whenever I tried to follow her I always ended up lost somehow... Though I didn't try often. Her address isn't registered in the school records either..." Kaito scowled, it was just like the witch to actually disappear right when her presence was actually wanted.

"I do not know where Koizumi-san lives either I'm afraid" Saguru shook his head. "It's summer break as well, which means catching her at school is out of the question" The blond glanced at how the teen's wings were drooping slightly, his wings seemed to be an easier way to read Kaito's mood.

_ 'It must be because he's not used to controlling them _ '

"Maybe she'll get a prophecy about me and find me" At Saguru's confused expression he explained. "Akako sometimes gave me weird prophecies about danger regarding me, though I never truly understood them until after, and even then it was iffy" His wings trembled. "I guess if she decides to give me one, we can attempt to get her help" He gave a weary smirk.

"Are you feeling okay?" The blond asked softly, kneeling down beside the brunette, Kaito's face seemed slightly flushed.

' _ He's stressed _ '

"Not really, I'm actually feeling like I'm going to be sick..." The magician's voice was barely audible. "Akako is going to ask for something I can't give her, I just know it" Saguru attempted to gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"You said that she sometimes helps you, she might do the same this time" Kaito shook his head at Saguru's words.

"That was only because she wanted me, she can't get me if I'm dead" He sighed.

"But if she doesn't help you, you will most likely" The blond grimaced before continuing. "You will die from stress, you're already exhibiting signs of illness do to this conversation alone" Saguru replied softly, moving a hand to Kaito's forehead to check the temperature.

' _ He has a mild fever, I need to bring his mood back up _ '

Kaito hummed in acknowledgement, leaning into Saguru's cool touch. "Or she'll throw one of her temper tantrums and incinerate me for being so stupid"

"I bet Baaya has finished making breakfast, why don't we go check?" The blond questioned as he took Kaito's hand and pulled the other up onto his feet. He didn't comment how the magician wobbled a bit before standing straight.

_ 'I hope it's something filled with a disgusting amount of sugar _ '

When they entered the kitchen he was relieved to see crepes, thankfully his just seemed to have some strawberries and blueberries. Kaito's on the other hand was drowning in chocolate syrup and rimmed with icing sugar and whip cream. Thankfully Kaito's crepes also had strawberries, blueberries, bananas, and blackberries.

_ 'Dear lord, Baaya is seriously trying to fatten him up. Well at least he needs the extra fat and sugar for both his health and mood _ '

He gently guided Kaito to his chair and sat him down before taking his own seat. "Thank you Baaya, this was exactly what we needed" He gave his caretaker a soft smile before glancing over at Kaito who was still silent. "Is it made to your tastes Kaito?" He questioned despite knowing the answer, the magician adored anything chocolaty.

' _ I wonder if he'd be overweight if he wasn't kid. I don't understand how he can eat so much chocolate all of the time and stay so thin _ '

Indigos blinked up in surprise, the magician actually jolted, almost falling out of his chair. "Yes, it looks delicious Baaya, thank you" He gave a small smile and began to eat. Saguru felt concern gnaw at him but he didn't know what to do, Kaito didn't perk up like he had expected him to.

' _ Normally he'd already be half done by now _ ...'

It was often horrifying watching the brunette consume large quantities of sugar, without managing to seem rude. However now Kaito was eating his crepe slowly like a normal person. He opened his mouth to question the brunette but instead lunged forwards to stop Kaito from face planting into his meal. "Kaito?!" He squawked, having not expected the magician to faint.

_ 'Shit, he's worse than I thought! I wish his stupid poker face wasn't so good _ '

"Oh dear!" Baaya hopped up and swiftly moved everything away from Kaito's spot. "What should we do?" She questioned, normally they'd call a doctor, however since Kaito had wings, they couldn't.

"I'll take him down to the med bay" The blond replied as he scooped up the winged teen into his arms. He could feel the heat radiating from Kaito. "Can you bring down some fresh ice?" He asked before swiftly heading towards the stairs.

_ 'I don't know what to do, he's probably going to become more stressed as time goes on _ ...'


	24. Chapter 24

"Kaito..." The blond whispered softly, running his fingers along the magician's wrist, continuously checking his pulse. The blond had some medical knowledge, but he was by no means a real doctor. Kaito's fever was running dangerously high and showed no indication of breaking. After six hours he had ended up hooking the magician up to a saline IV with added nutrients.

_ 'I don't know what to do... Kaito needs a doctor _ '

Kaito had already had a small seizure from overheating. The episode had almost sent Saguru himself into cardiac arrest, Baaya was constantly busing herself with filling up both the food freezer and medical freezer with water, cranking down the temperature lower than usual. It was okay if the food became freezer burnt if it meant ice was made that much quicker.

' _ He's going to die if he doesn't see a doctor _ '

Tears fell freely down his face as he clasped the unconscious magician's hand, he didn't want to lose his new friend. "Young master, both freezers are full, I disposed of all of the food contents except some hamburger for tonight's meal, I placed that in the fridge" Baaya stated softly.

"Baaya..." The blond turned his head to face her, not letting go of Kaito's hand. "What should I do?" He cried.

_ 'I made a promise to help him, but I don't know how to keep it _ '

"Oh Saguru" Baaya cooed, crouching down to hug her young ward, she sometimes forgot that he was still young due to his intelligence. "He needs proper medical help" She whispered, carding her fingers through his hair.

"What if the doctor doesn't keep their mouth shut?" The blond's shoulders trembled. "What if they tell everyone about 'The boy who has wings'?" He choked out, remembering the pure terror that had been in Kaito's eyes.

_ 'I'd have basically betrayed him after promising that I wouldn't _ '

"He's dying, his temperature will kill him if he doesn't get help" Baaya replied gently, pulling back to gaze into tear filled golden eyes. "Even if it doesn't work out well, Kaito would forgive you for being terrified of losing him. He's a sweet boy"

Saguru shook his head. "I wouldn't care if he forgave me..." He paused. "It's just that some things are not worth being alive for" He let out a shudder as he continued. "What if he ends up as an experiment? I know he'd rather be dead than have that happen... But I—"

"You would rather have him alive and well" She cut off his words, having known what he wanted to portray.

_ 'What I want shouldn't matter... It's what Kaito wants that's important _ '

"I wish he'd wake up for just a second, I don't want to take away his choices from him" The blond sighed, remembering how his parents had always chosen what was right for him up until he moved to Japan. He knew what it was like to have large life decisions made for you without permission.

"We could hire a private doctor" Baaya started, holding up a finger when Saguru opened his mouth to respond. "We could hire Dr. Kalos, we've known him for years now and he's never given the press any information about you" She paused. "We could offer him an additional hundred thousand dollars as hush money and agree to give him ten thousand for every month he stays silent as a precaution. He's a good doctor and very reliable, the money would just be an extra boon for him"

' _ I remember him, he was always extremely discreet when it came to personal and political problems. He was also very kind to me whenever I saw him _ '

"I—" Saguru glanced towards Kaito and lowered his head. "One hour, if Kaito's condition worsens or if Kaito doesn't wake up to tell me what he wants, you may call him" Saguru agreed.

' _ Please let this be the right choice _ '

*

Kaito didn't wake up, nor did he get better, instead he seemed to take a turn for the worse. Two more small seizures and an hour later Saguru's nerves were shot. He'd been quick enough to remove the IV before it caused too much damage during the second seizure, but during the third, his vein had been damaged resulting in a very panicked Saguru patching him up. The fact that his pulse was weak helped reduce the amount of blood loss.

Baaya had called the doctor and had headed upstairs to wait for his arrival, Saguru didn't dare leave Kaito alone.

_ 'I'm sorry Kaito, I've waited as long as I could _ '

*

After a few hours of waiting for Dr.Kalos to arrive, the blond had begun to drift off.

"Oh my..." Saguru shot awake at the unexpected voice, whirling around so that he was standing between the door and Kaito. He blinked numbly when he recognized Dr.Kalos. He had short black hair, and brown eyes framed with black glasses. He was dressed in his usual medical wear.

"Dr.Kalos, please save him" The blond pleaded as he stepped out of the doctor's way to allow him to asses the magician.

"I'll do my best" The doctor replied as he briskly began to take Kaito's vitals, seeming to ignore the wings in favour of the fever. "It's not often I hear that you have a friend Saguru" He added as he read the clipboard that Saguru handed to him, taking note of the medications in Kaito's system.

' _ Straight to work as I remembered, I just hope that he can help _ '

"Thank you" The blond whispered as he took a seat in the far back corner, not wanting to get in the way, but also not wanting to leave Kaito alone with Dr.Kalos.

' _ I pray that Dr.Kalos is trustworthy, I've known him for years and he's always come across as a good person... Once Kaito is stable and stays stable we need to change locations, just in case. If anyone comes looking and finds no evidence, Dr.Kalos would be discredited, especially since the existence of a winged person is highly unbelievable _ ...'


	25. Chapter 25

"He should be okay for now" Dr.Kalos stated after he had been working on the magician's fever for well over two hours. "I've managed to get him down to a 40 degree fever, I'll give you some of the fever reducers I used" The doctor gave Saguru a small smile as he pulled out a bottle of pills and handed it to him. 

"Thank you Dr.Kalos" Saguru breathed, glancing towards Kaito, his heart felt a thousand times lighter than it had been a few hours ago.

_ 'I had seriously thought that Kaito was going to die _ '

"It's no problem Saguru, helping people is my job" The doctor glanced towards Kaito's wings. "And patient confidentiality is a vital part of my job, I promise to keep your friend's condition a secret" Dr.Kalos gave the blond a firm pat on the shoulder. "That boy is a fighter, most people would have died after their fever reached 50 degrees celsius... Though maybe his physical makeup let him survive? I'm not quite sure... Either way, he seems to be doing better now" Dr.Kalos added.

_ 'Maybe a vet would know more, but one other person knowing is already too many _ '

"Still, I am very grateful for both your effort and promise of silence" Saguru replied softly.

*

Indigos blinked open slowly, Kaito felt as if he'd run a few marathons. He glanced around and noted that he was back in the medical area of the lab.

_ 'What happened? I was talking on the couch with Saguru _ ...'

"Kaito" Saguru's voice was soft as he swiftly got down to eye level with the magician. "I was so worried about you" The brunette blinked in confusion at the weariness in the blond's voice.

"What happened?" He tried to sit up but failed. "My limbs feel like jelly" Saguru gave him a tired smile.

' _ He's acting more concerned than before _ ...'

"You collapsed at the table, I had to take you down here to help reduce your fever..." The blond paused, his voice trembling as he though back. "Your fever was too high, you had multiple seizures, I didn't know how to lower it, anything I tried didn't work..." He glanced towards the ground.

' _ Seizures? That's scary _ ...'

"How am I still alive if you couldn't reduce my fever?" The magician inquired, the facts weren't lining up correctly, he was missing something.

"I'm sorry..." Saguru whispered, clasping Kaito's injured hand in his own, not wanting to disrupt the IV. "I'm so so sorry Kaito..." The magician looked at Saguru in confusion and the blond continued. "I was so scared, you were dying and all I could do was stand there worrying" He closed his eyes. "I called one of my private doctors... I'm so sorry, I didn't want to lose you" He admitted.

_ 'A doctor?.... someone I don't know, knows about my wings _ ?....'

Kaito opened his mouth to yell at the other but paused when he took in the blond's full appearance. He had dried tear tracks covering his face and his eyes had a haunted look, his shoulders were bowed in submission.

' _ I'd have to be a true bastard to yell at him when he's like this... I'll yell later _ '

"Saguru" The blond ducked his head at Kaito, voice. "What you did was not okay..." Kaito took in a breath, forcing his body to not tremble. "But I don't blame you, I understand the feeling of not wanting someone you care about to die..." The magician breathed, doing his best to ignore the panic shooting through his chest.

"But I betrayed your trust, it hasn't even been that long and I already broke it!" The detective sighed, he was remembering why he barely had any friends, trust was fragile.

_ 'I need to stay calm, I can't let myself panic _ ....'

"You did it with good intentions" Kaito huffed. "Don't misunderstand, you're going to have to work for my complete trust" The magician added, knowing that it would make the blond feel better if he wasn't completely forgiven right away.

' _ Having him think he's working for it will reduce how guilty he feels _ '

"I will do my best Kaito" The blond replied softly, still unable to meet the other's gaze.

"Is the doctor trustworthy?" Kaito questioned, fearing the answer.

"So far in the past he has been, but I didn't want to take any chances. I didn't tell him your name" Kaito nodded at the information, the doctor not knowing his name would buy them some time to fix things.

' _ I've got to stay calm, everything will be fixed _ '

"Thank you, I appreciate the effort. But I'd still feel more comfortable not being here, that doctor knows this place. All it would take is one picture on the internet and I'm on the run" Saguru nodded.

"I expected that, once you're stable we could head back to your house? I phoned Nakamori-san to explain your absence, however it turns out that she won a free trip to Hokkaido. She and her father are currently there" Kaito felt his shoulders relax at the mention of Aoko not being around.

"Maybe Lady Luck hasn't completely abandoned me?" Kaito joked, grimacing as he felt a wave of dizziness.

_ 'Calm down... Aoko won't be there' _

"The blond frowned at the visible grimace, the brunette seemed to be taking in the information too easily. "Kaito, are you feeling okay? I can't tell if you're acting or not"

"I—" Kaito paused before continuing. "I feel like I'm going to pass out again" Saguru cursed and swiftly felt Kaito's forehead, the teen was already feeling feverish.

"Oh god, please not again!" Saguru whined as he lunged for the thermometer on the side table. He quickly clicked it on and offered it towards Kaito.

The magician raised his hand to take it, it fell limply to his side before he reached it.

*

"Please no..." Saguru gave Kaito's shoulder a little shake, receiving no response.

_ 'Was the fact that I called a doctor too stressful for him _ ?'

"Hakuba-Kun" The blond whirled around in shock, having not expected anyone besides Baaya. When he recognized the intruder he froze.

"Koizumi-san..."


	26. Chapter 26

The red haired witch ignored the blond's words, brushing past him to stand next to the unconscious Kaito. "Lucifer portrayed Kuroba-kun's death" Akako stated softly, gently brushing the sweat soaked bangs out of Kaito's face.

_ 'Koizumi-san doesn't seem to be in one of her 'kill Kaito' moods _ ...'

"Why are you here Koizumi-san?" Saguru asked, making sure to not come off as impolite. He didn't dare face a witch's wrath, especially since Kaito needed someone by his side.

"I am here to offer a deal" Red eyes flashed darkly as she gently plucked a feather from Kaito's wings.

Golden eyes narrowed. "Kaito isn't conscious enough to consent to anything" The blond replied.

' _ There must be rules of some sort to prevent non consensual deals or else the world would be overtaken by witches _ '

"Kaito?" Akako's lips quirked upwards into a dark smile. "I see... You and Kuroba-kun have indeed become close" She flicked a few strands of her red hair over her shoulder. "What if the offer of a deal was for you?" She purred, gently cradling the feather in her hands.

Saguru stiffened, eyeing the witch suspiciously. "I cannot agree to anything without hearing what the deal is" He replied, remembering how manipulative Kaito had made her out to be.

"Good boy, you're smart. The deal is that I heal Kuroba-kun's  _ current _ fever and give him a glamour, one that can hide his wings from existence and make him weigh more when in use." She paused, running the feather along Kaito's cheek. "He'd be able to pull out his wings whenever he wanted and retract them at will"

_ 'I want her to stop touching Kaito without permission. If he was awake he'd be recoiling from her. It's too dangerous to interfere now that I know that she's a witch _ ...'

"That seems oddly generous of you, what is the price?" Saguru drawled, the offer was too good to be true.

"I'd like a kiss from him, and a promise of a favour that won't push at his morals" Saguru grimaced.

"I can't promise a kiss from him" The blond replied, knowing that the magician could be unpredictable when he wanted to be.

"I know, which is why I'll settle for him not sprouting bad ideas about me towards Aoko-chan and the favour" A small blush tinted her cheeks. "One can't help but be drawn towards Kuroba-kun's charms, a kiss would have been nice. But his friend is a sweet girl, I don't wish to harm her..." He words trailed off.

"You're infatuated with Kaito, but have a crush on Nakamori-san" Saguru breathed in shock, he hadn't expected Akako to be interested in Aoko.

_ 'I never would have expected this _ ...'

"Kaito said that you have often tried to kill him, why are you deciding to help him when you can finally be rid of him?" The detective questioned.

"I have grown attached to Kuroba-kun, if he were to die, I'd most likely cry... And Aoko-chan would cry as well and be unable to move on from her fruitless crush" Akako replied.

Saguru closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. "My understanding is leading me to think that you'll ask the favour of me in order for Kaito to become protective and switch the deal to himself instead"

Akako nodded. "Yes, I can't force a deal on the unwilling, but the deal can be transferred to a willing person"

"I accept on the condition that you do your best not to cause harm to Nakamori-san, Kaito would never forgive me if this deal got her hurt" Saguru offered.

_ 'He may not love her as a potential partner, but he loves her as a sister _ '

"Very well, I accept your deal, hold out your hand" Akako purred as she took the offered hand, pricking it and allowing a few drops to fall onto the ground. "The deal is sealed, I'll help Kuroba-kun now" With that, a red aura began to surround her. Saguru watched in interest as the feather she had plucked began to glow red, Akako placed the feather onto Kaito's chest. A blinding red light forced him to look away, when it receded, Kaito's wings weren't visible. "It is done, I cast a small sleeping charm on him to help him regain his strength, he'll wake up tomorrow morning feeling refreshed" Akako caressed Kaito's cheek with a soft smile before moving away.

"I— Thank you Koizumi-san" The blond gave the witch a polite bow, unable to properly express the full extent of his gratitude.

"It was my pleasure Hakuba-kun, Kuroba-kun's ability to wards away my charms both fascinates me and had frustrated me" She leaned into the blond's personal space seductively, earning a flustered blush from Saguru. "His resistance seems to have rubbed off a bit on you, you're only flustered because I invaded your space" Akako hummed as she moved back.

' _ I'm glad that her charms aren't working on me _ '

"Would you like me to see you out?" Saguru offered politely. The red witch shook her head with a smirk.

"No I can find my way out, it's best that you stay with Kuroba-kun, you're quite attached to him" She teased.

"Thank you once again, your presence was much more appreciated than I had thought it would be" Saguru replied, deciding that being truthful would turn out the most favourably when dealing with a witch.

Akako rolled her eyes. "Yes I'd assume so since most of your knowledge is from Kuroba-Kun" With that she disappeared into thin air. He glanced towards the brunette before taking a seat beside him.

_ 'Kuroba's much safer now, nobody would believe that he has wings _ '

The teen's paleness had left him in favour of his normal skin tone, the only thing that looked visibly wrong with him was how terribly thin he was.

' _ He'll gain some healthy weight with Baaya cooking for him, and he'll have less stress than before since his wings are gone _ '

A small smirk crossed over the blond's lips.

_ 'Now that they won't interfere with his life, I'm sure that Kaito will come to love his wings _ .  _ He seems to love his hang glider, his wings would allow him more freedom _ '


	27. chapter 27

Indigos blinked open, unsurprised to see that he was still in the medical area of the lab. He felt good, completely refreshed. Kaito glanced around, surprised that Saguru wasn't in sight.

' _ He's usually hovering over me whenever I pass out _ '

When Kaito sat up, something felt different, as if he was missing something. It clicked, he looked backwards, almost crying out in delight at the sight of his  _ wingless _ back.

' _ They're gone! But how _ ?!'

The magician's memory was a little blurry, he remembered that Saguru had been forced to call a doctor, but everything after that was fuzzy at best. Kaito gracefully hopped to his feet, he couldn't believe how amazing he felt, the additional elation from being wingless boosted him.

' _ Saguru probably knows what happened _ '

Kaito set off towards the upper layer of the house, figuring that since Saguru hadn't been hovering over him, he was fine. He let out a small snicker as he bounded up the stairs.

' _ I never noticed how much of a worrier Saguru was until now _ '

The moment he set foot on the main floor he was assaulted, his vision momentarily blinded by white feathers as his doves all swarmed him. "Ah!" The magician yelped in surprise, almost tipping backwards and falling down the stairs. He had expected many things, dove assault wasn't one of them. "Calm down!" Kaito laughed, as all ten of his doves perched on him, coping softly as they nuzzled him.

_ 'They're so sweet _ !'

"I'm quite glad you're doing well" Saguru stated from his place halfway down the stairs that led to the second floor. The blond had been worried when he'd seen Kaito tip backwards, fearing that he'd fall. Thankfully off duty phantom thieves had good balance.

"I am doing fantastic!" Kaito beamed, he looked ridiculous covered in all of the doves. "I can finally be outside safely!" He gave a little spin, his doves somehow managing to keep their hold on him. "By the way, what happened?" He glanced at his back. "Not that I'm complaining, but why don't I have wings anymore?" The magician inquired.

Saguru descended the stairs completely, giving the brunette a warm smile. "Koizumi-san saved you" At the open panic that flashed over Kaito's face he hastily continued. "Do not worry, the whole exchange and deal was surprisingly quite pleasant" Saguru soothed, not wanting to stress Kaito, he'd had enough panicking done recently for a lifetime.

_ 'Akako was pleasant? That's a surprise _ ...'

"Really?" Kaito's replied, voice laced with skepticism. Almost every interaction he'd ever had with the witch was unpleasant, even when she was actually saving him.

"It is true the deal was very simple, You owe her a favour that won't go against your morals, and you will stop badmouthing her around Nakamori-san" Saguru explained, observing Kaito's reaction.

"That's all?" The brunette mused, he'd seriously thought that she'd steal his soul.

' _ Why would she care about Aoko's opinion of her _ ?'

The blond shrugged. "It seems that while Koizumi-san is infatuated with you, she actually has a crush on Nakamori-san" At the magician's disgusted face, the blond raised a brow. "Do you have problems with them being together?"

"It's just that its Akako, I don't trust her with Aoko" Kaito replied.

Saguru nodded in acceptance. "Do not worry, part of the deal was for her to try her best to not harm Nakamori-san" The blond admired how the brunette cared about Aoko.

' _ I guess I have no choice then... At least Aoko is safe from her seduction spells _ '

"I don't like it" The magician growled, Aoko may be annoying, but she was still  too good for the creepy witch. "But I don't own her, so if the creepy witch manages to seduce her I'll support Aoko" Indigos darkened dangerously. "If Akako manages to harm her, witch or not, I'll make her regret it" The magician stated.

"That is very mature of you" Saguru drawled, figuring that things would have been much different if Akako couldn't turn Kaito into a bug and squash him. "Though I figure that you'd be excited about just how Koizumi-san solves your problem"

Kaito tilted his head. "Excited? She just cancelled the magic right?"

"No, are you familiar with the term glamour?" The blond replied, at Kaito's nod he continued. "She cast a glamour on you to hide your wings and change your weight, if you wish it, your wings can reappear and disappear at will. I assume the same goes for your weight"

' _ Wait so I can go about life as normal, and fly without a hang glider whenever I want _ ?...'

"I—" Kaito wavered, his doves took off in time for Saguru to catch him and slowly let him sink to the ground. "It just hit me" Kaito laughed, embarrassed as he wiped away tears. "I was so close to never being able to be Kuroba Kaito or Kaitou Kid ever again..." The magician sniffed, moving back from the blond.

_ 'I can keep my promise to find Oyaji's killers and lock them up _ ...'

*

The blond didn't comment on the tears, it was only natural that Kaito would feel immense relief at the realization that he didn't have to give up his current life.

_ 'Kaito is very sensitive, it's what allows him to step into others shoes as Kid so easily, he just hides it so well until he can't _ '

"I was wondering if you'd be interested in going out deep into some woods to practice flying?" The detective offered with a smirk. "Since you have wings that won't ruin your life, it's only natural to practice. With your lifestyle, hidden wings could be useful" He added, he knew that Kid almost always had his hang glider, but Kaito didn't have a hang glider alway on his person.

A very Kid like grin crossed over Kaito's face. "I could cause so much trouble, they'd be looking for someone with wings strapped on... The potential" Kaito's dark chuckle sent a shiver down Saguru's spine.

' _ I'm not sure I want to know what he's thinking... I pity his victims _ ...'


	28. chapter 28

Saguru was relieved, the magician seemed to be in especially high spirits now that his wings weren't going to ruin his life.

_ 'The chance of him getting a dangerously high fever has diminished greatly _ '

"By the way, the news has been talking about how you haven't returned the last gem" Saguru paused before meeting the magician's gaze. "I don't think the gem is safe enough to return" He admitted, he didn't like theft, but it was the lesser of two evils when he though back on Kaito's panic.

"Ah don't worry, the Shooting Star turned to dust, all I've got to do is create a convincing fake so that Kid's name isn't tarnished" Kaito chirped, relieved that the gem couldn't cause anyone else problems.

_ 'Not everyone knows a witch that can fix magical problems _ '

*

"Aoko, can I talk to you about Kaito-kun?" Aoko put down her fork in confusion, it wasn't often that her dad spoke to her in such a serious tone.

Ginzo looked his daughter in the eyes, feeling slightly guilty that he'd missed how she'd treated Kaito. "Is it true that you chase Kaito and threaten him with fish?" The inspector asked, not wanting to sound accusatory, people often responded better when not feeling accused.

_ 'I didn't know Kaito-kun had a phobia of fish _ '

Aoko blinked, tilting her head to the side in confusion, having not expected the odd topic. "Yeah, Aoko chases Bakaito with fish, it's the only way to properly control his antics" She chirped.

Ginzo closed his eyes, suddenly feeling tired. "Aoko" He paused. "Kaito-Kun has a phobia of fish, do you know what that means?" He inquired, hoping like nothing else that she didn't, that his little girl was just as sweet as he remembered.

"It means he's really scared of fish" Aoko replied, feeling confused.

"Kaito-kun, isn't really scared of fish Aoko, he's petrified of them" Ginzo let out a breath. "To him, when you threaten him with a fish, it's the same as holding a knife to his throat" Aoko paled at her father's words.

_ 'Good, she didn't realize how terrible her actions were. Kaito-Kun is like a son to me, I don't know what I'd have done if her actions were purposely harmful _ ...'

"Aoko didn't know..." The girl whispered, tears prickling in the corners of her eyes. "Aoko's been..." She shook her head. "But how? Aoko want to understand. Why did Chikage-san tell me about his weakness if it was so serious?" Aoko whispered. Ginzo sucked in a breath at his daughter's words.

' _ First she leaves Kaito-kun to me, then she made a joke of his phobia _ ?'

He'd always felt uneasy about Chikage after Toichi's death, she often felt as if she was there but not. He'd been angry when she left Kaito to him shortly after his death. The boy had needed his only remaining parent. To know that Chikage was the reason why Aoko thought it was okay to make fun of Kaito was a bitter revelation.

"Chikage, wasn't— Isn't a good parent to Kaito-kun" When Aoko opened her mouth to object he shook his head. "She's left him alone most of the time, which wasn't the worst because  _ I _ was there for him. But to make fun of a phobia which he can't help but have is wrong. Aoko, phobias can be paralyzing, people have died before because a specific phobia prevented them from seeking or accepting help. Sometimes the immediate fear overshadows potential death, not all the time, but sometimes" He finished, giving her a gentle hug when he noticed that she'd started crying.

"Aoko" She hiccuped "Aoko promises to never use fish against Kaito again" She cried, feeling horrified at her past actions. "Kaito is an idiot, but he doesn't deserve being  _ so _ scared..." She'd thought his fear was mainly from disgust, not something so serious. Ginzo smiled, glad that she understood.

*

"Baaya really makes amazing food" Kaito sighed from his perch on the couch. They'd just finished eating french toast and bacon, apple slices in Kaito's case. Saguru smiled, glad that the brunette liked her cooking.

"If you like her food" He paused looking away. "Maybe you could stay here for some of the summer?" He felt his face warm slightly. "I've not had many friends, so I thought it would be nice" The blond finished.

_ 'Aww he's so adorable when embarrassed _ !'

"Sure, I've no problem with that. I'd just need to fetch my own clothes and a few other things" Kaito replied with a smirk, he felt grateful for the blond helping him and if all he wanted in return is some friendly time together, he'd do that. The magician he'd learned that Saguru could be nice company.

_ 'Maybe I could make him into less of a stick in the mud, then he can try to get even more friends _ '

The magician knew that he wasn't a really good choice to have as an only friend. He was in danger way too often and knew that he could die at any heist. It wouldn't be good for Saguru to have too much of a reliance on their friendship alone.

' _ Maybe I could somehow get him into Kudo's scope, he's been down since he had to make Conan leave for America... Another person to geek out about Holmes with should lighten his mood _ '

He'd helped with the BO takedown, earning himself a few bullets to the chest and his loss of secret identity to Shinichi and his mad scientist friends. Conan was still around so Kaito had been admitted into the hospital under the name 'Kudo Shinichi'. They weren't friends, but they weren't enemies.

"That's understandable, my clothes are much too big for you" Saguru replied with a smirk, Kaito huffed.

"It's best to not be too tall, it's easy to add some height to disguises, but much harder to take it away" The magician argued, grinning despite his affronted tone to tell the blond that he wasn't serious.


	29. Chapter 29

"I saw a boy with wings"

"You're not mistaken?"

"I'm not, I don't know his name, and it was mostly dark. But I know he had wings"

"Standby and wait for instructions"

*

"I take it you're planning to go and fetch your items later today?" The blond inquired, Kaito shook his head.

"Nah, I'll go now to get it over and done with, I'll be back in a few hours" With that, the magician disappeared into a cloud of pink smoke. Saguru coughed a few times before the smoke cleared out.

_ 'I did not miss the smoke filled exits _ ...'

He shook his head tiredly and went to tent to Watson.

*

"Hey that's the boy!" Shadow#1 hissed, eyes glancing at the blue eyed brunette walking down the streets.

Shadow#2 squinted at the teen, he looked just like the description said. "Let's nab him, there's no way that he's the wrong guy"

Shadow#1 gave a dark grin. "Yeah, the odds of our angel having a twin in the same city is very unlikely"

*

Shinichi sighed as he walked down the street, he'd been kicked out of his own house by Ai. The mini scientist had smacked him with a pen, and told him to stop moping, before kicking him out. It wasn't his fault for being depressed, he missed being Conan. At least as Conan he had a bunch of friends, now all he had was Heiji, two mad scientists, police officers, and a very pissed off Ran.

' _ Couldn't Haibara have at least let me grab a book before kicking me out _ ?'

The sleuth paused in his steps and scowled, years of living in paranoia as Conan had honed his senses. He was being watched. The gazes didn't feel malicious per say, however they also didn't feel friendly. He resumed his walking, this time at a much swifter pace. With his luck, Shinichi didn't want to take any chances.After walking a few blocks, his tails still hadn't left him.

_ 'They're insistent, I know Megure would send help if I called him. But what if I'm just being paranoid and it's just some of my creepy stalker fans _ ?'

As he turned into a side ally, he stumbled into someone. "Oh I'm sorr—" Shinichi's Words were cut off when he felt a pinprick on his neck. "Wha?" Strong arms caught the teen as he slumped to the ground.

"The tranquilizer worked well" Shadow#3 stayed with a grin as he hoisted the unconscious detective onto his back.

"Of course it did, we must not harm the sacrifice" Shadow#1 replied as they stepped out of the shadows.

*

"Hmm... What else should I bring?" Kaito mused as he rummaged through his prank materials, one never knew when they would suddenly need pink dye. Tsuki nestled comfortably in his hair as he pocketed smoke bombs, glitter, dyes of various colours, duck tape, plus other secret items onto his person. He felt uneasy whenever he wasn't armed.

_ 'I probably shouldn't dye Saguru right away, eventually yes, but I want to make him more at ease when around me _ '

With a content hum, he slipped out of his window and headed back towards Saguru's house. He'd taken the train, insisting to Baaya that it'd be nice to get some fresh air. Today was a good day.

*

"You idiots! That's Kudo Shinichi! A detective!" Boss Shadow hissed as he pointed towards the unconscious teen. They'd restrained him onto the ground, body spread out into a star, a metal collar pinning him to the ground. A metal band was also around Shinichi's waist, each leg at the thighs and ankles, his forearms and wrists, and tiny bands around each finger. Every band had been bolted to the ground for complete immobilization.

Shadow#1 grimaced as he looked at the detective. "But he looks exactly the same as the winged boy!"

Shadow#4 paused and took in the boy's face. "True... The fact that our angel has a twin in the city must be no coincidence" A delighted gleam flicked in his eyes. "The two must be twins of fate, Kudo may not have awakened his holy form yet, but he is still of holy flesh, we shall burn thy ashes together and consume them, only the will we ascent to the heavens!" He announced.

*

Indigos flashed curiously when Kimi, one of his doves fluttered over towards him as he waited for the bus, he'd sent out his flock to scout for trouble. He often did so because detectives were highly prone to danger and he thought it only proper to make sure they stay healthy. This dove in particular had been sent to monitor the Meitantei.

"Please don't tell me he got into trouble again?!" Kaito groaned as he stepped away from the bus stop and let Kimi land on his shoulder. The magician removed the spy cam and reviewed the footage, facepalming when he saw Shinichi get captured. He continued watching until the brunette was brought into a building.

' _ Even after regaining his body, he still gets in trouble just as often as he did when he was Conan _ ...'

Kaito pulled out his phone and sent Saguru a text telling him that he had to do something and would be back later than expected.

_ 'Now to head to where he was taken _ '

The brunette snickered as he thought about how Japan's police force would be much more competent if they had spy doves. He instantly magicked himself into dark sweatpants, navy blue turtleneck, and a brown baseball cap. All black would be too suspicious while out in broad daylight, neutral or plain colours would catch less attention.

*

The blond paused in drinking his earl grey tea to read the text, he wondered what the magician could possibly doing. Golden eyes suddenly narrowed.

_ 'I never gave him my number _ ...'

It was expected, but it still irked the blond. He let out a sigh and resumed drinking his tea as he read 'A Study in Scarlet'. The magician was weird and unpredictable, it was best not to question everything when it concerned him. It saved one from many headaches.


	30. Chapter 30

' _ This is going to be a piece of cake _ '

Kaito slunk through the streets, nobody passed him a second glance as he traversed. It was all in the posture, confidence attracted attention, so did many other emotions. He was a master at hiding behind his poker face.

The building didn't really stand out much, it was just a simple abandoned warehouse that surprisingly didn't look too sketchy. It was run down enough that the major populace avoided it, but not run down enough for it to be occupied by druggies. The fact that it was a few kilometres from the main city may have also helped with this.

Indigos instantly took note of the new security cameras, they were of an old make, but their condition was I mistakenly new.

' _ Either these people can't afford the new shiny cameras on the market, or they intentionally chose them to not stand out as much _ '

The magician smirked, they didn't know who they were about to go up against. He gave a low whistle, signalling Kimi to be at attention before waving towards the security camera facing the front of the building. She took off and landed in front of the lens, blocking the view. There were no other cameras facing the front so Kaito swiftly entered the building. The rusted but surprisingly sturdy lock stood no chance against him.

' _ As if something like that could keep me out, now if I was an accident prone Meitantei, where would I be _ ?...'

He silently switched into a completely black version of his clothes, he'd blend in better with the dim lights. The lights were just bright enough to allow the silhouettes of objects or people to be seen.

' _ Enough to not run into anybody if you know the area, and enough to not attract attention _ '

The teen was excited, these people were not idiots, which meant he could enjoy a small challenge.

*

Kaito blinked, in the middle of one of the underground rooms, was the Meitantei, a very naked Meitantei. He crouched down and squinted at the weird engravings in the wooden floor, he didn't recognize any of them, however, they gave him a bad feeling.

' _ Why is Kudo so heavily restrained like that _ ?'

The room was a weird one, Shinichi was in some sort of circular pit surrounded by approximately ten foot tall walls that expanded into the floor Kaito was currently standing on. The magician looked around and the only normal exit from the pit seemed to be a retractable ladder.

_ 'So even if he did somehow manage to escape his restraints on his own, he wouldn't have been able to scale the wall and escape on his own _ '

Kaito frowned, this was all too weird. He stood up and turned around only to have something hard make impact with his head. The last thing he saw as he backwards with blurry vision was Dr.Kalos holding a metal pipe above his head.

*

Dr.Kalos smirked, it was just his luck to have the target come to him. He glanced at the crumpled form of his angel with glee before pulling out his phone to call the other's. They would all ascend to heaven tonight.

He set up the gasoline spray, at the push of a button the whole circumference of sacrifice area would be drenched in the flammable liquid. The wooden floors would allow the fire to spread inwards towards the sacrifices. The angels would burn and their ashes salvaged for consumption.

He climbed down the ladder and removed the clothes from the second teen, angels didn't need clothes. They hadn't planned for two sacrifices so he couldn't restrain this one like the first. Dr.Kalos shrugged, he'd just retract the ladder. He left Kaito sprawled on the ground.

*

Shinichi blinked groggily, groaning at the pounding headache that assaulted his skull. He just wanted to sleep. A sudden chill ran through his body and he reached for his blanket, or at least tried to. Azure eyes flashed open in panic when he noticed the restraints, and then his state of undress. He remembered his stalkers.

' _ I'm such an idiot! Why do I get captured when I'm no longer Conan _ ?!'

The sleuth grimaced as he tried to move, he was completely immobilized. The only saving grace about the situation was that his body didn't feel like he'd been sexually assaulted, it was a slightly comforting thought considering he was bound and naked. Azure eyes suddenly took note of the other person in the room.

' _ Is that Kuroba?! Why is he here _ ?'

Concern gnawed at him when he noticed the small pool of blood surrounding the magician's head and similar state of undress excluding the restraints.

_ 'Oi... is he dead _ ?'

"Hey Kuroba!" The sleuth half whispered half yelled, wanting to catch the thief's attention, but not wanting to catch their kidnapper's attention. After calling for a few minutes and receiving no answer, Shinichi closed his eyes and took a break from trying to rouse the unconscious thief. Not dead, just unconscious, he would never believe the thief to be capable of a simple death.

_ 'When he wakes up, hopefully he won't be too concussed to free me, then I could stand on his back to get out then pull him up with me _ '

*

Saguru frowned, it was nearing dinner time and Kaito hadn't returned yet. He'd had figured that the magician would at least call in if he wasn't going to be there to save Baaya the effort of prepping his meal. He couldn't help but feel concerned about Kaito, taking out his phone, he called Kaito only to receive a dial tone say that the phone was either out of range or disconnected. Golden eyes narrowed.

' _ Kaito wouldn't have disconnected his phone without notice _ '

He glanced over towards Sora, he gently picked her up and carried her outside. "Find Kaito" The blond stated, he'd figured that since the doves were always around the magician, at least one of them would know and tell the other doves. He had faith in Kaito's ability with animals.

' _ Now let's see where that idiot ended up _ ...'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I added a few extra chappys XP
> 
> I was in a good mood since I'm on chappy 55 on wattpad while chapter 77 is written~


	31. Chapter 31

The blond frowned when the doves led him towards an abandoned warehouse, he knew that Kid must have at least some safe houses stashed around the city, however this location didn't seem right.

_ 'It's too far from any potential heist locations and it's too far for Kaito to go there often without seeming suspicious _ '

There was no possible reason for the magician to suddenly come here, unless he had been tailing someone. With a frown, he scoped the area.

*

"Now everyone, I'm sure you're all excited to witness the sacrifice" Dr.Kalos announced as he raised both hands up, he was covered in a black cloak and the other's surrounding the pit were dressed in the same attire. A loud murmur of agreement ripples through the room.

Shinichi grimaced, he didn't want to deal with a bunch of cultists, especially with Kaito still out of action. The fact that he'd been unconscious for hours was concerning.

"Now" Dr.Kalos paused before continuing, allowing the murmurs to quiet down. "Once we set the blaze, we must completely seal the room to prevent their holy spirits from escaping, after several hours the spirits will be bound to the ashes no longer able to escape. Every exit is sealed except from the one we are to exit from, unfortunately we are unable to witness the actual burning, however we may consume their ashes and ascend to the heavens afterwards"

Shinichi felt sick, blue eyes glancing towards the magician, a finger twitched, causing him to suck in a breath. Kaito wasn't dead, but he wasn't sure if he'd be any help. He tensed when he heard a small hissing sound as hurried footsteps left.

*

He was hot, so very hot. Kaito tried to take in a fresh breath only to wheeze in pain, the air scorched his lungs as his ribs ached from the action. "Kuroba?" Shinichi's voice was slightly scratchy, relief flashing through him.

' _ Where _ ?...'

The air was hot, almost burning as he opened his eyes, all he could see was a world of colours. "Kuroba get up and help!" The magician turned his head towards the sound of the voice, all he could see was a skin coloured blur surrounded by shades of orange, red, and black.

_ 'I know that voice _ ...'

Kaito slowly sat up, each movement a deliberate effort to make, the voice a null background noise as he shook his head in an attempt to clear it. A soft groan escaped his lips as he managed to further jumble his vision.

_ 'What was I doing? And why is that person distressed _ ?'

"KID HELP!" The coupling of his midnight persona's name and the plea for help brought Kaito into focus. He scrambled on his hands and knees towards the cry for help, not really caring about his blurred vision. Someone needed help, he needed to help them. He let out an undignified yelp as he stumbled over a body.

"Finally..." Shinichi breathed as the magician awkwardly moved off of him. The identity of the person finally clicked in Kaito's head.

"Kudo?" He inquired, trying to make out the detective's face but failing. The sleuth frowned at the unsure tone.

_ 'Why is he here? Where is here _ ?'

"Kuroba, can you somehow free me?" Shinichi asked, the metal was beginning to burn from the heat. He tried to ignore the flames that were slowly lapping towards them. It seemed like the wood had been slightly fireproofed.

"I'll try..." Kaito replied softly, he was so confused. "I can't see anything but blurry colours" The magician admitted as he shakily moved his fingers towards the blur he was convinced was Shinichi.

*

Shinichi frowned at the new information, Kaito's head wound wasn't really working on their favour. He figured that the only reason the teen was functioning so well was because he had appealed to Kaito's subconscious need to save people in danger. He cringed when he felt fingers brush against his stomach before they recoiled away. "Sorry" The magician breathed.

The sleuth rolled his eyes. "It's fine we both know you're not interested in me. We're both naked and you can't see. I'm attached to the ground by bands" Shinichi replied.

' _ At least he's modest enough to pull away _ '

"We are?" Kaito inquired, as he searched along the other's side until he came across metal. Shaky fingers trailed along the metal, after a few moments he stopped. "It's bolted, I can't do anything without tools" He lowered his head. "I'm sorry"

Shinichi resisted the urge to suck in a breath as he closed his eyes. Kaito was only human, it wasn't his fault. "I understand" Shinichi replied softly.

_ 'We're both going to die here, Kuroba is in no shape to escape even if I somehow managed to convince him to leave me behind _ '

"Can I ask what's going on?" The magician asked gently, the heat was getting worse, making his dizziness worse.

Blue eyes looked into unfocused indigos. "We were captured by a cult who wishes to consume our burned ashes" The sleuth huffed. "Apparently  _ consuming _ our ashes will make them ascend to the heavens"

' _ I've always hated dealing with cultists and their extreme and messed up ideas _ '

*

"I'm so sorry..." Kaito's words scratchy as he clenched a fist.

_ 'I must have been seen when I ran from Saguru that one time... Kudo was mistaken for me _ ...'

The sleuth scoffed. "I'm pretty sure this wasn't your intention"

*

Shortly after witnessing a large group clad in black cloaks hurriedly leave the warehouse, smoke began to leak out through the windows.

_ 'Is Kaito in there _ ?'

He whipped out his phone, calling both the police and fire department. His instincts screamed at him to run in there and find the brunette, however how was he to know whether or not Kaito had already left with the crowd.

' _ Please have already slipped out and escaped _ ...'

The magician wouldn't have wanted him to run into a burning building with no proof that he was still inside. The logical part of his mind agreed, however his feelings didn't.

' _ When I see that idiot, I'm going to put a tracking device on him _ !'


	32. Chapter 32

_ 'I don't want to die like this _ ...'

Kaito closed his eyes, he had no reason to keep them open if he couldn't see. He set his focus on breathing, if felt as if no matter how hard he tried, he wasn't getting enough air.

' _ At least suffocation should be less painful than burning? I hope so _ '

*

Shinichi glanced towards his unexpected companion, smoke burning his eyes, he could barely breathe and his vision was wavering.

' _ Oh I'm hallucinating _ ...'

The last thing the sleuth saw before losing consciousness was a swirl of black feathers and a flash of green.

*

When the smoke seemed to abruptly stop, Saguru took a few tentative steps towards the building. Unsure as to why the flames would suddenly be quenched.

' _ Maybe the warehouse's fire prevention system kicked in? No, I doubt the system would be that delayed and then put out a fire so swiftly _ '

Making up his mind, the blond took off towards the warehouse, not wanting to waste any time. The suspicious way in how the fire suddenly stopped made him think of the magician and his weird antics.

' _ Kaito probably uses some of his odd tricks to put out the fire _ '

A small smile played on his lips as he recalled how the magician had once filled their entire classroom with foam. Thankfully Saguru had been busy with a case that day and had only heard the stories on how the foam had kept on expanding.

*

From the way the smoke lingered and had stained the walls, the blond could easily follow the trail towards the source. He'd covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief to help filter the air, his eyes stung.

*

Saguru let out a soft hiss as he yanked his hand away from the metal doorknob, he'd almost burnt himself on it before noticing the heat. He paused for a few moments to listen for the sound of fire burning. When he heard none, he raised his foot and kicked down the wooden door, thankful for its old age and weakened support. The sudden wall of smoke and air rushing outwards promptly knocked him off his feet. The change of air pressure from the sudden large exit had caused the escaping smoke to smack him and stain his entire front black.

' _ This was the room of the fire's origin _ ...'

When he stepped into the room he was confused, there was a giant hole in the ground, when he looked down into it fear flooded him.

"Kaito!" He called, recognizing the wings on one of the soot coloured figures. Golden eyes frantically darted about, looking for a way to safely get into the pit. When he spotted a metal ladder he bolted towards it, only to burn his hands when he took hold of it. "Gah!" Mentally berating himself for not figuring that a metal ladder would be hot, he shucked off his shirt and covered his hands with it.

' _ Why is he in a room like this? And who is the other person who's restrained? If anything, Kaito should be the one who they restrained _ '

He could still feel the heat radiating through the shirt but it was bearable as he lowered the ladder before swiftly stepping down it and running over towards his friend.

"Kaito?" Saguru called, fear lacing his voice as he nudged the crumpled form after checking for a pulse, it took a few moments to realize that he was naked. He covered the teen's private area with his shirt before trailing his fingers gently over the head wound.

' _ Dear god _ ...'

Through the blood and sweat slicked hair, Saguru grimaced when he located the cause of the blood that covered the teen's head. The blond then belatedly remembered the other person who was right beside him.

_ 'He looks a lot like Kaito, is he Kudo Shinichi _ ?'

After checking the other's pulse and being unable to undo the bindings, the blond turned back towards his friend. "Kaito wake up, you need to hide your wings" Saguru hissed, remembering that their time was limited. When the boy gave no response he let out a frustrated hiss as he leaned down towards his ear. "I've got you Kid" He hissed, hoping to trigger the thief's flight instincts. Kaito didn't twitch.

"Hakuba-kun?" Shinichi's voice was scratchy and felt raw. The blond froze, turning his fearful gaze towards the other detective.

_ 'He's seen Kaito's wings _ ...'

"Kudo-kun..." Saguru breathed.

The sleuth glanced towards the winged teen, his head pounding as he thought up a plan. "I'm Kuroba, he's me, call Hakase, he can get him proper help" Shinichi breathed, everything hurt, but he had to stay conscious for just a little longer.

"What?..." The blond questioned clearly confused, he knew the number from previous interactions with the detective. He just didn't understand why he needed to call him.

"Similar enough appearance that a mistake in identity wouldn't be odd—" Shinichi's voice trailed off as a bout of coughs watched his body. He took a shuddering breath before continuing. "Hakase and friend can help until wings are hidden, then hospital..." Blue eyes fluttered closed, the teen having no more reason to force himself awake.

_ 'He needs help, I'll have to trust him _ '

He knew Shinichi was a generally good person, one who genuinely valued life. Saguru have the unconscious Shinichi one last glance before scooping Kaito up into his arms, he was unable to help the sleuth, but he could help Kaito.

*

' _ Where _ ?'

Saguru paused in carrying the teen up the stairs when he felt the magician's breathing change. Kaito was awake.

"Kaito..." Saguru breathed, relieved that the magician had regained consciousness.

' _ Who _ ?...'

"Sa—" Kaito coughed at the strain trying to speak caused him, his head swimming at the jolts caused by his coughing.

"Kaito put your wings away please, you need a hospital" The magician blinked blankly.

' _ Wings?... Oh wings _ !'

He hadn't even realized he'd let them out, with a weary sigh he pulled them in, a wave of nausea hit him as he did so. "Puke" Kaito choked out.

"Puke?...Ah!" Saguru swiftly put Kaito down and looked away as the teen emptied the contents of his stomach.


	33. Chapter 33

' _ I really hope Koizumi-san's glamour works correctly and makes Kaito seem like a normal human _ '

Saguru let out a tired breath as he looked at the seemingly small magician on the hospital bed. He was hooked up to so many machines, all to monitor his vitals and to make sure he didn't stop breathing, again. He shook his head at the horrible realization he'd had when Kaito's ragged breath had slowed and eventually stopped as he carried him. Thankfully as he was performing CPR on Kaito, an EMT arrived and helped him transport the magician to an ambulance.

It had been after 3 fear filled hours that he'd been allowed to see Kaito, during the wait he'd called Baaya for a change of clothes for the both of them. Both Kaito's and Shinichi's injuries had astounded both the nurses and doctors. Their smoke inhalation had been serious, however not as serious as it was expected to be after the circumstances had been explained to the medical staff. Shinichi should have had serious burns on his body from the metallic bands that had strapped him down, yet the teen only had mild burns that wouldn't scar too bad if cared for properly. The nurses had whispered amongst themselves that it was almost like magic

The main concern was Kaito's head, the teen had a grade 4 concussion and hadn't regained consciousness since he'd last passed out.

' _ What if his head was hit too hard _ ?'

He was waiting for the results of the teen's MRI and X-Ray, weirdly enough, he was somehow on the magician's list of people who could know his medical condition. It felt nice that Kaito had included him in the list.

"You're really troublesome" The blond breathed, a small smile on his lips as he held the magician's hand. He wasn't going to leave him alone until he woke up, which meant he was stuck here until both Nakamoris arrived. Kaito wouldn't take too well waking up in an unfamiliar place surrounded by medical supplies. "Please get well, you weren't nearly as injury prone before"

*

"Hakuba-kun" Golden eyes glanced towards the doorway of the hospital room in confusion. Sitting up from his previous position of being hunched over.

"Koizumi-san?" He gave a polite nod in greeting despite his confusion. "Pardon my rudeness, but I wasn't expecting to see you today" He breathed.

_ 'Why would she come now? Does she have another prophecy regarding Kaito _ ?'

A sly smile played on the red witch's lips as she gracefully stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. "I wasn't expecting to be here either" Akako mused as she gently took a seat on the other side of Kaito's bed. Red eyes softened as she caressed the magician's cheek before trailing her hand down to the pulse point on his neck. "But I felt a sudden shift in Edoka's magical properties..." She replied softly as she recalled her hand, allowing it to settle on her lap.

"And how does that result in you visiting Kaito?" Saguru asked, already having a small idea where the conversation was heading.

' _ Both his and Kudo-kun's injuries are not as severe as they should be _ ...'

"I felt the awakening of a white magic user, it's such a rare art that I had to see for myself who it was" Akako replied softly as she ran a few fingers through the brunette's hair, mindful of his injuries. Saguru bristled slightly at her actions but didn't stop her, the witch wasn't going to harm his friend and had important information to give.

"What kind of magic is white? From stories I'd like to assume healing magic, however stories don't always tell the truth" Akako smirked darkly, giving the blond a nod.

"You are correct, healing magic is indeed the main trait of a white magic user. It's what makes them so valuable in the eyes of others with awareness of magic" She paused before continuing. "It's a gentle magic and is faintly associated with air" She tilted her head to the side slightly as she examined the magician. "His blood was one that had no magical lines hidden within it, so whatever gave him wings, also gave him an affinity for white magic" She smiled softly. "It suits his personality well"

' _ Kaito isn't really a fighter, yet he's always trying to save or help others in need _ '

"It suits him perfectly" Saguru agreed with a smile of his own. "Though being a white magic user with the family name of Kuroba is strange. Yet he's always been strange so it's perfect in a way"

"Unfortunately, I do not have much to teach him in the white arts. I originally came here to either kill the new magic user or coerce them into working for me" She smirked at how the blond seemed to bristle at her words. "Do not worry, since it's Kuroba-kun, I'm okay with another magic user being around"

"Thank you" The blond breathed, the red witch had scared him for a few moments. With Kaito unconscious, he wouldn't have been able to protect him against a territorial witch.

_ 'It makes some sense that witches are territorial _ ...'

Without another word, Akako left.

*

"We have the results of the MRI and X-Rays" Dr.Kusama stated as he briskly walked into the room. The doctor had short black hair and navy blue eyes.

Saguru looked up from Kaito and greeted the doctor with a worried gaze once he read his face. "Will he be alright?" The blond's voice was soft as he gave Kaito's hand a little squeeze.

' _ His expression doesn't look good _ ...'

Dr.Kusama gave Saguru a sad smile. "We won't know for sure until he wakes up, there's major bruising and swelling surrounding his brain" He paused at the panicked look on Saguru's face, giving him a reassuring clasp on the shoulder he continued. "Despite the small fracture of his skull, as long as Kuroba-san stays immobile, the swelling and bruising will hopefully fade and he'll wake up" Saguru felt numb at the prospect of potential brain damage for the brilliant teen.

_ 'Please let him get out of this unscathed... Hopefully his magic will heal him _ ...'


	34. Chapter 34

The magician still hadn't regained consciousness after a day, it was now nearing noon of the next day. Saguru still hadn't left Kaito except for when he needed a washroom break, thankfully Baaya was kind enough to bring him food.

_ 'I want him to wake up, but I'm also fearful of what may be wrong when he does awaken _ ...'

"Hakuba-kun!" Golden eyes glanced over from Kaito towards the doorway where Aoko and Ginzo had arrived, both looking slightly disheveled. Aoko pauses to catch her breath from running. "We took the quickest train as soon as we could after you called" The girl replied as she hurried over towards the bed. A soft gasp escaped from her as she covered her mouth in shock at the sight of the magician. "Kaito..."

_ 'It must seem worse to her than to me since I know the reasons for his sudden weight loss _ ...'

Saguru nodded his head in greeting to the weary eyed inspector as he followed in his daughter. Ginzo gave a tired nod in return as he took a spot beside his daughter, wrapping an arm around her in reassurance. "Kaito-Kun will be okay Aoko" He breathed.

The blue eyed girl turned towards Saguru, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "What happened? All you told us was that Kaito got hurt and was in the hospital..." Her voice was soft.

"I do not know the whole story" Saguru paused as he glanced towards the magician. "However I do know that he was trapped within a burning building with Kudo Shinichi the evidence pointed towards them being kidnapped. The reason why is one I do not know" Saguru replied, omitting how the two teens were unclothed and how scared he'd been.

It had been interesting explaining to the police, thankfully some of them were familiar with Kaito and believed that Saguru had used the magician's doves to find him. It had surprised the blond how many officers in Edoka knew Kaito die to him being acquainted to Ginzo.

' _ Even if Kaito does get caught, I wonder how many officers would happily arrest him. Everyone seemed so fond of him _ '

*

Ginzo tiredly ran a hand through his hair as he looked at the unconscious teen. Kaito looked horrible, more so than he'd initially thought he would. He'd been expecting broken bones, not this.

' _ Kaito-Kun is so pale and thin, he didn't look that thin the last time I saw him... How did he lose so much weight in so little time. He wasn't overweight or anything, but now he looks like he's been starved _ ...'

"What did the doctors say about Kaito's condition?" The inspector asked, it was better to ask than to let his imagination run wild. Aoko looked up expectantly as well.

"Kaito currently is suffering from smoke inhalation and major bruising and swelling surrounding his brain. He regained consciousness once that I know of, however he quickly lost consciousness after that and has yet to awaken since then" Saguru replied softly, Aoko gasped while Ginzo stayed silent.

_ 'That doesn't sound good... Kaito-kun is already weird, good but weird. What would happen if he were to end up with brain damage? _ ...'

*

"Hey, since when have you called Kaito by his first name?" Aoko asked, her voice trembling. She wanted to change the subject away from the magician's injuries.

_ 'Bakaito isn't supposed to get hurt, he's supposed to be running around playing pranks on everyone... He's not supposed to look so small and vulnerable _ ...'

"Ah, me and Kaito have recently become friends over summer break" The blond replied, glancing away from her. Aoko raised a brow, when she'd last seen them together they were throwing insults at each other.

_ 'Aoko never would have thought Hakuba-Kun and Kaito would actually become friends _ ...'

She gently ran her fingers through Kaito's hair, her eyes glowing softly with happiness. "That's good, Aoko was worried about you both" She gave the blond a small smile before continuing. "The both of you need more friends, it's nice that you guys have finally stopped fighting"

' _ Hakuba-kun is smart enough to keep up with Kaito easier than me _ '

Saguru gave a small blush in response. "We never stopped fighting long enough to actually get to know each other well enough to become friends..."

"Aoko is glad that you guys have stopped fighting, though Aoko is curious, why did you guys stop?" Saguru shrugged.

"Things happened in a way that gave little time for arguing, I won't say more since it's a secret" He replied softly, knowing that he obviously couldn't tell Aoko without Kaito's permission.

' _ Kaito values the promise of keeping others secrets, I shouldn't try to dig into his and Hakuba-kun's first proper secret together _ ...'

*

"We have failed..." Dr.Kalos sighed in dismay as he examined the burnt remains of the pit. It had taken a while for all of the fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars to leave. He hadn't expected anyone to be around to see the fire, let alone rescue the angels. The doctor hadn't been able to catch a glimpse of the angel's saviour unfortunately since he'd been far away from the action to avoid being caught.

"They're probably in a hospital somewhere, maybe they're in the one you often help out at? It's Edoka general hospital right?" Dr.Kalos nodded at his hooded companion, lips curled in displeasure. They had been so close to ascending to heaven.

"That may be true Kohaku, hopefully they weren't too damaged that we can't present them as a sacrifice" Dr.Kalos paused before continuing. "We have to hurry either way, one of the angels saw my face before I sent him into the pit. We need to either dispose of him or recapture him for sacrifice before he regains consciousness"

They'd be in a lot of trouble if the magician woke up and told the staff and police who had attacked him. They'd be able to trace the rest of the group through Dr.Kalos' connections. One couldn't ascend from earth to heaven early while they were in jail.


	35. Chapter 35

Three days, Saguru couldn't believe it, a whole three days had passed without the magician regaining consciousness. Kaito had slipped into a coma early on during the second day. Golden eyes glanced over the unconscious teen's face. Kaito's expression was much more relaxed in his sleep.

' _ Take all the time that you need to heal Kaito, as long as you wake up okay _ '

The speedy healing of the brunette's lungs had left the doctors and nurses with dumbfounded expressions. Saguru has already placed many lawyers on standby and had offhandedly mentioned near the reception deck about how important patient confidentiality was and then proceeded to talk about his lawyers to Ginzo. The inspector didn't quite completely understand what was going on with Kaito, however he understood the blond's ploy; let them know that there will be large consequences if they tell others about Kaito's healing abilities.

'If they say one word about Kaito, they'll lose their jobs and the hospital will gain a completely new staff. He would never shut down a hospital like he would a supermarket, but workers were replaceable. Having lots of money was useful in times like these.

*

On his way back from the washroom, Saguru accidentally bumped into someone. As he looked over to apologize, his voice caught in his throat for a moment before managing to escape. "Kaito?..." He couldn't believe that the magician was up and about, he'd only taken five minutes.

Blue eyes blinked in confusion at the blond before comprehension dawned within both teens. "Hakuba-kun, Thank you for calling for help" Shinichi gave a small smile of thanks. "Unfortunately I'm not Kuroba, but Kudo Shinichi" The sleuth added.

' _ Kudo-Kun knows Kaito, he's also seen his wings _ ...'

"My apologies" Saguru amended, curiosity buzzing as he noted how the other looked completely healthy. Blue eyes met his own.

"It's fine, could we talk somewhere private? Maybe Kuroba's room, since I take it he's obviously still unconscious due to your reaction when spotting me" Shinichi inquired, glancing at a nosy nurse who swiftly continued on her way after meeting his gaze.

_ 'Kudo-kun is trustworthy, he's already proven that by both his silence and offer of covering for Kaito _ '

"That would be nice, the staff here is full of nosy people" The blond paused with a smirk before continuing. "I wonder how many lawyers they've had to deal with in the past"

Blue eyes gleamed with amusement. "You've got many lawyers too? I guess all rich people have lawyers on the go" A passing nurse seemed tense as he passed by. "Just in case they need to sue nosy people" Both teens shared their mutual amusement as Saguru led Shinichi towards Kaito's room. The hospital staff were giving the detectives ample space.

*

"He looks much better than before" Shinichi mused once they stepped into the room. The sleuth swiftly taking note of all of the medical readings.

"Indeed" Saguru replied softly, unsure as to how he should continue the conversation.

' _ How much does Kudo-Kun know _ ?'

Shinichi smiled fondly at the unconscious teen before meeting the blond's gaze. "Do not hold back information, I  _ know _ who he is, and I know that you do as well taking from how you called Kuroba earlier" Saguru felt momentary panic flood him before forcing it down.

' _ If he was going to have anyone arrested he wouldn't have warned me or have been so discreet _ '

The blond let out a breath to steady himself before replying. "Very well, there is a white noise generator hidden under Kaito's bed so I figure that you'd be a valuable ally to have" He sighed before proceeding to tell Shinichi everything that had happened, barring some personal details.

*

"I see, I've witnessed stranger things happen, so I guess I believe you" Shinichi replied with a nod, he didn't like thinking that magic existed, however his own lack of injuries only proved the opposite.

' _ It's almost as far-fetched as a teenager shrinking into a child _ '

"I'm curious Kudo-kun, how do you know Kaito?" The blond inquired, he really hadn't expected the magician to be closely connected to the detective of the east.

Shinichi let out a breath, a wistful expression shadowing his face. "We met multiple times during my big case, he was a vital part in taking down the organization" At Saguru's questioning look, Shinichi explained. "I was never shot during the take down, Kuroba was but he couldn't be admitted under his own name for obvious reasons"

' _ We're lucky that our blood type is the same, it would have been hard to explain a temporary change in blood type to the doctors _ '

Saguru nodded numbly as he took in the information, regret pooling in his stomach. Kaito had come to school a few days after the take down and he hadn't noticed that the teen had been hurt. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over into sympathetic blue eyes. "Don't blame yourself, the bastard is a sneaky one" A wry smile played on Shinichi's lip as he continued. "He's the master of disguise, he'd have been caught by now if he couldn't seem completely fine when nobody had a reason to think otherwise"

"True, his damn poker face has infuriated me constantly in the past, however underneath that poker face I've come to realize that he's actually very fragile" He replied softly, remembering the teen's multiple breakdowns he'd witnessed.

"It's understandable, nobody completely okay could be able to do what he does" Shinichi replied, remembering how he'd once accidentally witnessed the magician drop his poker face for a few moments.

' _ It's sometimes the ones who are always smiling who are the ones actually in pain _ '

*

"I've gone through the hospital records and located the two angels, one seems completely healed while the other is currently comatose" Dr.Kalos stated to the hooded group. "I'm planning to take them soon, but first we need to prepare a new location so that we can sacrifice them immediately after capture. It wouldn't do for the comatose angel to expire in our clutches due to us being unable to care for it"


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that I've been posting the unchecked versions... I'll fix that when I'm not sick

Shortly after Shinichi left, or rather was dragged out by an irate Osakan, Saguru was left alone with his thoughts. Having the great detective of the east as an ally lifted his spirits greatly. He'd heard rumours about the teen, and most of them were true.

' _I hope Kaito won't be too annoyed about me involving Kudo-kun... At least this time Kaito actually knows him and apparently has worked well with him in the past_ '

*

"How tha hell did ya manage ta get yerself kidnapped, severely injured, then heal completely in under a week?!" Heiji growled as he tugged his friend through the hospital's halls towards the exit, making sure to keep a good hold on the scruff of his shirt. Shinichi was going anywhere without him unless he wanted to run around half naked. "And then when I go ta check up on ya, yer not even in yer room. Instead I had ta scout tha hospital for ya and end up finding ya talkin ta tha British bastard" Heiji scoffed, levelling his best friend with his best annoyed glare. His eastern counterpart gave a sheepish grimace as he looked away.

 _'It's not my fault trouble always comes looking for me_...'

"I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time Hattori" Shinichi replied, inwardly cringing at how often that seemed to be.

Green eyes narrowed in disbelief. "Then how are ya healed already and who was tha look alike in tha bed? He looked awfully similar ta ya" Heiji remembered the shock at seeing two Kudo Shinichi in the room.

"He got captured as well, he's Hakuba-kun's friend" The sleuth hoped that at the mention of the blond detective, the other would let it go.

Heiji shook his head, eyes narrowed as he met Shinichi's gaze. "Things are never that simple when yer involved..." He paused in thought before continuing. "Tha only other guy with tha same face as ya in Tokyo is tha thief ya always chased" The last part was said soft enough to be inaudible to everyone but the two detectives.

' _It's annoying being friends with detectives... I sort of understand some of Ran's annoyance in the past_...'

"That's not for me to tell, he's a really good person. Please let it drop" Shinichi asked quietly, wary of eavesdroppers. The other was silent for a few moments before nodding.

"I trust yer decisions, he's done nothing truly wrong in my books" Shinichi let out a relieved breath at the other's words.

*

"Has there been any change in Kaito's condition Hakuba-kun?" Aoko asked as she took a seat by the other side of the bed. The blond shook his head.

"Unfortunately no, Kaito hasn't so much as twitched" Saguru replied regretfully, he was concerned as to why the magician's healing magic hadn't already healed him.

' _Maybe he was healed, but healed wrong_?'

He inwardly grimaced as he remembered how bones that healed wrong had to be rebroken, he wondered if that was what had happened with Kaito.

' _He wasn't really all that aware when I first found him_...'

Aoko let out a disappointed sigh, it wasn't any fun when Kaito wasn't able to do something crazy. "I really hope Bakaito wakes up soon, it's hard with both him like this and my dad going crazy about Kid not returning his last heist target..." The girl's words were soft as she sadly gazed at her childhood friend.

*

"Which one should we grab first?" Kohaku asked as they surveyed their new location, it was just their luck that a local drug gang had been captured by the police around a week ago. Nobody had claimed the freely new area until now.

"The one that's mobile, he'd be the easiest to hide once the authorities are alerted" Dr.Kalos smirked as he surveyed the concrete floor, they'd burn the angels more swiftly this time. All he'd need to do was douse them in gasoline and toss a match. It wouldn't be as beautiful a burning that he'd hoped for, however beggars can't be choosers. "The unconscious angel would be hard for the police to hide, and this means he'll be easy to find"

*

"We're being followed..." Heiji whispered softly to Shinichi as they walked down the streets, they'd been heading towards their favorite coffee shop since the eastern detective hadn't had any in a while.

 _'It feels like the same people from before_...'

Shinichi gave a discreet nod in agreement before carefully pulling out his phone and lazily texted Megure-Keibu. It paid well to have close connections with the police to be able to text them. Texting was much less likely to alert their stalkers than calling was. "It seems as if that coffee shop has been closed due to a family emergency... Why don't we head back to Beika?" Shinichi stated, green eyes gleamed in understanding. The hospital was in that direction.

' _They may go after Kuroba as well_...'

"Sure why not?" A sly smirk appeared on the osakan's face. "Race ya!" With that the two bolted towards the hospital, doing their best to keep their concern off of their face.

*

"They're running!" Kohaku gasped, readying himself to go after them.

Dr.Kalos grabbed his shoulder "It's fine, they're just racing, teens do stupid things all of the time. We haven't been spotted, follow them discreetly"

*

Both Saguru and Aoko jolted in surprise when Shinichi and Heiji ran into the hospital room, both teens were sweating slightly and panting a bit. "Kudo-Kun?" The blond inquired, confused by their sudden appearance.

' _Why would they come running back so soon_?'

"The guys who took me and Kuroba are still after us, Hattori spotted them following me. I called the police before we ran here" The eastern detective replied as he sank to the floor exhausted, the fake race had swiftly turned into a real one due to their competitive nature.

"I'll call dad!" Aoko yelped, fearful of her friend becoming even more injured than he already was.


	37. Chapter 37

When the door opened another time, all four conscious teens tensed, Saguru and Shinichi took a defensive stance near Kaito, while Aoko and Heiji took offensive stances both wielding a mop and broom respectively.

"I guess I didn't have to rush here so quickly..." Ginzo breathed as he entered, closing the door behind him. All of the teen's relaxed their stances at the sight of a familiar face.

"Dad!" Aoko gasped in relief, the other teens sharing her sentiment.

' _I had thought it was the enemy_...'

The blond felt as if he shouldn't be feeling as surprised as he was, he'd already known Kaito was very close to the inspector. "I'm surprised you've managed to get here so fast" Saguru admitted, it hadn't been that long since Aoko had called.

Ginzo shrugged "Kaito-kun is like a son to me" He glanced back towards the door. "Division one is guarding the door and some of the kid task force members are scouting the area"

"I understand division one, but why is tha kid task force here?" Heiji inquired, he knew that the unconscious teen was most likely Kid, however he doubted the task force would know.

A fond smile crossed Ginzo's face as he glanced at Kaito. "Kaito-Kun is very popular with division two" He paused and looked at Shinichi. "Just like how division one will drop everything they can for Kudo-Kun, division two would do the same for Kaito-Kun. Plus, while that bastard Kid may escape often, other criminals are fairly simple to catch compared to him" Everyone nodded in understanding, anything seemed simple when compared with Kaitou Kid.

' _True, with all of the insanity Kaito causes as Kid, the Kid task force is very adept at many situations and spotting people who shouldn't belong_ '

"So it's only a matter of time before all of this is settled" Shinichi stated, smirking confidently. He'd seen the crazy things the task force had done against average criminals.

"An' if for some reason tha enemy make it 'ere, we got ya strength to stop 'em" Heiji added, motioning towards the broom slung over his shoulder.

"Yup, Aoko will smack those idiots as hard as she can if they get here!" Aoko announced, brandishing her mop, the inspector felt proud of his daughter.

 _'Normally I would pity anyone facing Nakamori-san's mop wielding anger... Today there will be exceptions_ '

*

' _Dammit! Why is the place suddenly swarming with cops_?!'

Dr.Kalos grimaced as he ducked into a bush for the tenth time in the last half hour. He was stuck, he couldn't change his location without being spotted.

' _The cops never arrive so quickly! Usually they take a while, yet for some reason dozens of cops arrived almost right away_...'

It was unnerving, the doctor had already seen many of his followers get hauled off in handcuffs, even Kohaku, his second in command had been caught.

 _'I recognize half of these cops from the Kaitou Kid heists! They're supposed to be incompetent! Why are they doing so well_?!'

"Oh! Found another one!" The voice was the only warning Dr.Kalos had before he was yanked out of the bush. He gaped in shock at the division two officer.

' _Shit_!'

With a snarl, the doctor attempted to twist out of the officer's grasp, only for the officer to easily adjust his grip to counter every escape attempt.

*

"I've just received word that everyone has been caught" Ginzo announced as he put away his cell phone. Heiji jolted in surprise.

' _That was too fast_!'

"Everyone? Are ya sure tha everyone has been caught? Couldn't there be more people hiding?" The osakan inquired, Ginzo shook his head, a proud smirk on his face.

"No, my task force is highly skilled in flushing out criminals, they know how to get the others to rat each other out. Every criminal gave the same number of members and the same name for the leader" Heiji looked at the inspector in shock while the other teens nodded in agreement.

' _But... everyone makes them out to be a joke_ '

Shinichi rolled his eyes at his friend's confusion. "Yes everyone thinks the task force is a joke, but that's only because only their Kid related assignments are mentioned" At the curiosity shown, Shinichi continued. "Chasing Kid has caused the members of the Kid task force to become  _experts_  at finding people, did you already forget how Nakamori-keibu had stated that they were skilled?" The eastern detective scoffed, earning a scowl from his western counterpart.

"No, I jus' didn't expect it ta be so quick!" Heiji huffed, crossing his arms.

' _It's not like I'm as familiar with tha task force as everyone else here_...'

*

"So tell me, Kalos Kal,why did you and your group decide to go after both Kudo-Kun and Kuroba-Kun?" Megure questioned, Dr.Kalos was currently behind bars to protect those questioning him. Ginzo was silently leaning against the wall, having been granted permission to listen in despite it not being in his jurisdiction. The favours one got for helping out in rescuing division one's favorite helper.

Kal's eyes narrowed, he could tell that he wasn't going to be able to talk his way out of jail. He licked his lips before responding. "I wanted to sacrifice both the awakened angel and the unawakened angel to the gods" He replied honestly, he'd either be written off as crazy and maybe get an insanity plea, or they'd believe him and the angels would be exposed.

' _I had known the one angel was division one's pet, but I didn't know the other one was also a pet of the police_...'

Rage flared within Ginzo as he stood up from his leaning position against the wall, Megure quickly put an arm out to stop the other inspector. "Calm yourself or you'll be forced to leave Nakamori-Keibu" Ginzo let out an angry exhale before leaning back against the wall. He'd be calm until he got his answers, then he'll yell at the crazy bastard who kidnapped both Kaito and Shinichi.


	38. Chapter 38

"Why are you addressing both Kudo-Kun and Kuroba-Kun as angels?" Megure questioned, the black cloaks that the captured group wore were giving him unpleasant ideas.

 _'I don't know about Kuroba-Kun, but Kudo-Kun is more like a shinigami than an angel, though only in presence_ '

Kal smirked, he'd heard about how superstitious division one's inspector was. All he needed to do was play on that superstition, even little whispers could attract the wrong attention towards his angels. "That  _boy_  you call Kuroba is an angel, I've seen his wings" Brown eyes gleamed. "They may be black like his name, but he is an angel, Hakuba Saguru could even confirm this fact" Ginzo's brow quirked at the mention of the British detective, the way the two teens had suddenly become so close was confusing.

"You say this nonsense about Kuroba-Kun, but what is your reason for Kudo-Kun's capture? Is he an  _angel_  too" Sarcasm laced Megure's voice as he continued "Did you see his wings too?" He scoffed.

' _Kudo-Kun's luck is too bad for him to be an angel, angels are blessed, Unfortunately, he is anything but blessed'_

Kal shook his head "No, but for someone within the same city to share the same face with an angel. They must be twins of fate, Kudo's angelic form may not have yet been awakened, however he would have still been a valuable sacrifice" Ginzo clenched his teeth at the sick smile on the criminal's face.

*

' _The one watching is a hothead and obviously cares for the Kuroba angel... Maybe I could use this to my advantage, it doesn't look good when an officer tries to assault a criminal. It would at the very least draw attention towards those involved_ '

"So you wanted to sacrifice them because you  _believed_  they were angels in disguise?" Megure questioned skeptically, he was used to crazy criminals, however cult like motives weren't something he came across every day.

"Of course, the winged one was especially easy to capture" Kal flashed a smile, his gaze flickering towards Ginzo. "One smack on the head with a metal pipe, and he easily fell down into the pit" Ginzo sucked in a breath, he'd  _seen_  the pit's depth. Kaito could have easily died if he'd landed wrong.

 _'Oh he's taking the bait sooner than expected_ '

*

' _That bastard! He just admitted to being the sole reason why Kaito-Kun is in a coma_!'

Eyes narrowed into a fierce glare, Ginzo stood up from his resting spot. "You could have killed Kaito-Kun! What's the point of what you were doing if your precious  ** _sacrifices_**  die ahead of time?!?!" The inspector spat, pure fury and venom lacing his voice as he stepped towards the bars. Ginzo hated murder, he didn't have the stomach for it, which was why chasing a nonviolent phantom thief was so appealing.

"Nakamori-Keibu!" Megure shouted in alarm, quickly pulling the inspector away from the bars before things got messy. Ginzo resisted for a few seconds before allowing himself to be placed back against the wall to cool down. Megure gave him a cautious glance before turning back towards the smug criminal.

' _Attacking him could lesson his sentence... For Kaito-Kun I need to stay calm_ '

"Well if one died, we still had the other one" Kal replied, Ginzo clenched his fists.

*

"So Kaito isn't in anymore danger besides his coma?" Aoko inquired once both the eastern and western detectives had left. She glanced at her best friend.

' _It's so unlike Bakaito to sleep through important times... He usually pops up somewhere whenever there's danger nearby_...'

"That seems to be the case, though I would suggest that we stay vigilant in case one of the criminals escape" Aoko nodded at the blond's suggestion, still awed by Saguru's apparent concern for her best friend. The reason had already been explained to her, yet it still seemed a little weird to her. Weird, but good.

 _'Hakuba-kun seems so different when Kaito is involved_...'

"Aoko, agrees, things get weird whenever Bakaito is involved" She smiled as she remembered how the brunette acted around Akako.

*

"We're not going to get anything else from him" Ginzo growled, it had already been around four hours since they'd captured all of the cultists, yet the leader kept going on and on about both Kaito and shinichi being angels rightfully meant for sacrifice.

' _Kaito-Kun isn't an angel, I really wish this idiot would shut up about it! What if his words attract another group of crazy cultists_?!?'

Megure let out a tired sigh before nodding in agreement. "Unfortunately, though it would be smart to ask that blond detective some questions" At Ginzo's glare, he quickly amended his words " I'm not accusing him at all, it just seems that he may have some answers to some of the blanks in our information. Kalos Kal did mention him a few times after all"

"You sure as hell better not be accusing him, he's a part of my division" Ginzo growled, he may not really like the teen that much, but that was mainly because he kept accusing Kaito of being Kid.

' _Though they did become close unnaturally fast... So maybe SOMETHING happened_...'

"I just want to know why he stated that Hakuba-Kun would know about how Kuroba-Kun apparently has wings, just to clear up the reports" Megure soothed, not wanting to ignite the man's legendary temper.

Ginzo crossed his arms with a huff "The loony probably heard Kaito-Kun being called Kuroba and thought he had wings due to his name" He rolled his eyes. "Seriously! Angels are supposed to have white wings, yet the loony says Kaito-Kun is a black winged angel. He should at least get his damn facts straight!" Ginzo let out a breath "Black winged angels are usually portrayed as evil, Kaito-Kun may be a devious little devil at times, but he's not evil! And Kudo-Kun is the apparent 'Shinigami' of division one, the kid wouldn't kill anyone and I sure as hell don't think someone nicknamed after a freaking shinigami could be an actual angel!" Megure nodded in agreement, eyes wide at the long rant and forever grateful they worked in separate divisions.


	39. chapter 39

"Nakamori-Keibu, Megure-Keibu" Saguru nodded in greeting when the two inspectors stepped through the door, Aoko had left to buy some groceries. "Has everything regarding Kaito's capture been dealt with?" The blond inquired, eager for the cultists to be locked behind bars where they couldn't harm someone else. Ginzo glanced at Kaito and for once realized how odd the teen's healing speed was.

 _'No, I'm just overthinking things_...'

"Yes, that bastard has no chance of escaping his sentence" Ginzo smirked, he always felt great when arresting someone dangerous, it meant that dangerous person couldn't hurt others anymore.

Saguru let out a relieved breath, knowing that the criminals, especially their leader would be closely guarded to prevent escape. "That is greatly relieving, those kinds of people shouldn't be free" He closed his eyes "Faithful religion is one thing, but there's also a point where it becomes too much to be acceptable, murder is unacceptable"

Ginzo nodded in agreement "True, thankfully most people who follow a religion aren't crazy cultists"

 _'Nobody needs crazy cultists killing people for their absurd beliefs of earning favour_ '

Megure shuffled his feet awkwardly before couching to catch their attention. "We have a few things we'd like to clarify regarding the leader's statement. Kalos Kal—" He paused when he noticed the blond's posture stiffen slightly. "Do you know him?"

"Yes... He is a doctor that I've known for years" Saguru admitted, knowing that a simple paper check would destroy any lies he made up. " _He_  was the leader of the cult?" The blond asked, his mouth dry, he suddenly felt sick.

' _That crazy bastard is a doctor?!?!_ '

"He was the leader" Ginzo replied gruffly, appalled at the thought of how many potential victims the doctor had possibly scoped out during his work.

"Well Kalos-kun had stated some really weird things about Kudo-kun and Kuroba-Kun" Megure paused before continuing his voice laced with skepticism. "Apparently Both Kudo-kun and Kuroba-Kun are  _angels_ , Kuroba-kun in particular is a  _black_  winged angel. He also for some reason said that you could verify that statement" Megure finished with a scoff, missing how Saguru tensed momentarily. Ginzo's eyes narrowed.

 _'He's hiding something_...'

Saguru gave both inspectors his best perplexed look. "Dr.Kalos said that Kaito has  _wings_?" He inquired, doing his best at acting innocent.

 _'He's acting, but why would he need to act_?'

Ginzo decided to play along, the blond wasn't one for intentionally misdirecting information. "Yes, the loony said that he saw Kaito-Kun with wings and apparently decided to sacrifice him and Kudo-Kun together since they looked alike, thus they  ** _HAD_**  to be angels" He snarled in disgust, doctors were supposed to help people, not sacrifice them for a cult.

' _Is he protecting Kaito-Kun?_ '

Saguru blinked "I did indeed call Dr.Kalos for help since Kaito had a seriously high fever, though I have no idea how he came to the conclusion that Kaito had wings"

*

 _'Kaito is going to flip when he finds out if he doesn't already know_ ,  _hopefully the fact that Dr.Kalos has been openly labeled as crazy will help sooth his concern_ '

"Why didn't you take Kuroba-Kun to a hospital? It would have been much cheaper" Megure inquired, he knew that the Hakubas had a lot of money, but private doctors were still very expensive.

' _I can't very well say that I didn't want people to see his wings_...'

"Kaito is very bad with hospitals, he could potentially drive the staff crazy if he was conscious in one for too long. It just seemed easier to call one of the private doctors" Saguru replied with a small smile, he'd heard stories. Kaito wasn't a good patient when conscious.

Ginzo nodded in agreement "True, he almost gave his last doctor a heart attack due to him hanging upside down from the ceiling, despite having a broken leg. He wasn't even in there for too long"

Megure blinked, glancing at the unconscious teen. "Is he really that bad?..." He inquired, wondering how someone with a broken leg could manage to hang from the ceiling before being caught.

"Kaito is both a magician, and a prankster" Saguru supplied.

"I see... So Kalos-Kun most likely learned of Kuroba-Kun's family and decided that he had wings, and since you had called him, he figured you already knew" Megure replied with a nod, Saguru shrugged, happy to let the inspector come to his own conclusions.

 _'If Kaito's family name wasn't Kuroba, this would have been a lot harder to explain_...'

"Okay, now that everything's settled, we should head back to the station!" Ginzo announced, curiously glancing at Kaito before somewhat forcefully leading Megure out of the room.

 _'That was quite odd, that last look he gave kaito didn't seem right for the situation_ '

*

"Saguru wake up" Golden eyes blinked open as the blond sat up properly in the chair he'd been slouched in.

"Baaya" He greeted sleepily, she gave him a warm smile before pointing to her own cheek. With a blush he wiped away the drool. "Sorry"

' _At least it was Baaya and not a doctor... Being caught drooling in front of strangers is embarrassing_ '

"You should have something to eat, I brought you some cold ham, cheese, and lettuce sandwiches. I know it's not an ideal dinner meal, however I doubt that you're in the mood to eat a fancy meal" She apologized as she handed him a bag of separately wrapped sandwiches, Saguru accepted them with a smile.

"Thank you Baaya, I greatly appreciate your efforts" Saguru replied softly, unwrapping one of the sandwiches. "Without you, I'd probably forget to eat all the time"

' _Even the sandwiches she makes are delicious_ '

"And That is why I've always got to keep an eye on you, it wouldn't do for you to starve" Baaya teased before lowering her voice "How long do you think Kaito is going to stay unconscious?" She was concerned for both the magician, and her young ward.

"I don't know, but I hope it's soon Baaya" Saguru replied softly, feeling a little nauseous as he bit into his sandwich.


	40. Chapter 40

 

Bleary indigos fluttered briefly, Kaito laid still as he discreetly took in his surroundings. The smell of antiseptic and the constant beeping clued him in that he was in the hospital, someone was also in the room with him.

 _'Why am I at the hospital? I haven't had a heist since summer break has started, and if there was a heist, why don't I feel handcuffs_?'

"Kaito?" The magician's thoughts paused at the familiar voice, he felt his tension fade, he knew that voice. "I know you're awake, medical equipment doesn't lie" Saguru stated softly, as he gently took hold of Kaito's hand. He'd lost even more weight, making the hand seem almost frail.

"Sa—" His dry throat sent him into a small coughing fit, the magician's breathing mask was swiftly removed, a straw being placed at his lips. He swiftly took a few sips of water, soothing his throat. "Why am I at the hospital?" Kaito inquired, once he was sure he wouldn't go into another coughing fit. He blinked open his eyes and scowled at the light, everything was blurry.

 _'My head hurts, but not too bad_...'

The blond narrowed his gaze at the magician "What is the last thing you remember?" He inquired, remembering that the other did in fact have a head wound.

' _The last thing I remember?... Everything's fuzzy_...'

After a few moments of silence Kaito perked up. "I remember us talking about me spending summer break at your place... Then nothing" The brunette admitted, blinking a few times.

' _Why is my vision so blurry_?'

"Why are you blinking so much?" Saguru asked, he'd noted how the other was blinking significantly more than usual during their brief conversation.

"Everything's a blur of colours" The brunette sighed, annoyed with his lack of clear vision. He then looked over towards the splash of colours he'd identified as Saguru "Anyways, you never did tell me why I'm in the hospital" indigos narrowed "I don't remember doing anything stupid enough to land me in one" He paused with a small smile "At least not recently"

The blond let out a small whine and pressed a button to alert a nurse or doctor to come. "Kaito, you were severely injured, and your head received major trauma" Saguru paused "You've been in a coma for the last four days"

' _A coma?!? Is that serious_?!'

The magician quickly schooled his expression, not wanting to add even more concern to his friend figuring that he'd already done that enough during the last few days. "Head trauma? Maybe that's why I don't remember..." Kaito sighed.

' _And maybe why I can't see well_?'

The blond opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by Dr.Kusama politely stepping through the door. The doctor took a look at the now conscious Kaito and smiled. "It's good to see that you're awake Kuroba-Kun, I'm Dr.Kusama, the main doctor watching over your condition" He greeted with a warm smile as he extended his hand.

"Thank you for taking care of me Dr.Kusama" Kaito replied softly, flashing a smile. The doctor blinked before retracting his hand.

"Kaito is having both memory and vision problems, he did not purposely ignore your greeting" Saguru supplied to appease the doctor. Navy eyes furrowed in concern at his words.

' _I didn't even notice that he offered me a handshake_...'

"Let's test your memory before focusing on your sight" Dr.Kusama stated gently, at The agreeing nod he began asking questions "Okay what is your name, your age, your family and friends names, and your birthday, just to start"

"My name is Kuroba Kaito, magician extraordinaire" He flashed the doctor a charming smile, earning an exasperated sigh from Saguru "I am 17 years of age" He paused before glancing in Saguru's general direction "If Saguru didn't lie to me about  being in a coma for only 4 days instead of years...." Kaito laughed at the strangled growl coming from the blond "And my mom is Kuroba Chikage, and my father was the greatest magician ever, Kuroba Toichi! And my friends are Nakamori Aoko, her dad Nakamori-Keibu, and the newly made friend Hakuba Saguru-Chan!" He finished, beaming innocently.

"S-Saguru-Chan?!?!" The blond spluttered his face going red.

"Of course! What else would I call you Saguru-Chan?" Kaito purred, grinning wickedly as he wished that he could see his friend's face.

' _Saguru must be so red by now, it's a shame that I can't see it_...'

Dr.Kusama covered his laughter with a few coughs before turning serious "When does your memory start to fail?" He inquired, figuring that the teen would at least have an idea.

"I remember discussing summer plans with Saguru and then nothing" Kaito replied, sparing the blond further embarrassment by not adding a suffix.

"That was right before Kaito left and then got captured" Saguru supplied, giving the doctor a better time frame comparison.

' _At least I'm not missing a lot of memories, it would suck to lose a few years, or even all of them_ '

"That is better than I feared" Dr.Kusama breathed, a relieved smile present on his lips. "Now tell me about your vision"

"Ah, I can only see blurry colours and big movements" The magician paused, tilting his head in thought "I could follow your blur from the door to your current standing position, but I didn't see you extend your hand" He added.

"Understood, you had some swelling around your brain and there may still be enough swelling to inhibit your vision, there's a decent chance of it being temporary if you're already this active after a coma" Dr.Kusama replied "However I would still like to schedule an MRI to double check, just to be safe"

Kaito nodded, it seemed reasonable and this doctor seemed more friendly than previous ones he's met. "Okay, I'm fine with that, I don't like not being able to see clearly" The magician admitted, he was more vulnerable than normal at the moment.

' _At least I'm not completely blind, I'm sure I could have worked something out to help me with heists, but it still would have sucked being unable to check the gem without help_ '


	41. Chapter 41

Dr.Kusama was silent for a few moments before speaking. "I promise to do my best to keep the other staff silent about your condition" The doctor stated with a soft smile. "I have no idea why you and Kudo-Kun recovered so quickly, but I have a hunch that it would be bad if others found out"

Saguru blinked at the doctor in surprise, his faith in them had fallen after learning of Dr.Kalos' betrayal. "I would hope that you keep your word, lives are at stake." Golden eyes met navy blue. "I'm only telling you that much because you've obviously seen the police around. I will not tolerate any more harm coming to Kaito"

' _He'd only just recovered from the fever before winding up injured again_ '

"Awww Saguru loves me!" Kaito teased, grinning as he grabbed at the blond, pulling him into a playful hug.

"Let go of me you octopus!" Saguru growled as he attempted to escape the hug, all of his attempts thwarted by the magician's skillful grasp.

 _'At least he's calmer than I would have expected him to be after everything_ '

"I'm going to go check to see if one of the MRI machines are currently free, please keep each other out of trouble" Dr.Kusama laughed before leaving the room.

Saguru blinked, mouth agape "He's labeled me a troublemaker..."

 _'I've never been labeled as one before_...'

Kaito snickered at his friend's distraught tone "I'm corrupting you!" He teased, pulling away before sticking out his tongue. "The great London detective is no more a snobby twat!" The magician grinned.

"I was never a twat" Saguru huffed, crossing his arms in mock annoyance.

Kaito's grin grew "You haven't denied the snobby part"

Saguru rolled his eyes, smiling fondly at the energetic magician. "I must admit I was quite snobby when we first met, however I do believe that you changed that by continuously outsmarting me"

' _Awww! Humility looks well on Saguru! Even if I technically can't see, I know it_ '

"Yes, the new and improved Saguru is less of a stick in the mud" Kaito smiled.

*

"Okay, there seems to be a room available for you to have an MRI in" Dr.Kusama reported as he returned.

"Okay, lets get this over with" The magician gave a smile as he removed his IV, he'd done this so many times in the past that he didn't need to see. Saguru instinctively lurched forwards to grab him as he slipped out of the bed, only to pull away when Kaito met the ground elegantly. "I'll be fine Saguru, I do a lot of things that I shouldn't in the dark, at least I can see colours like this" He laughed as he carefully stepped over towards the other blur he'd identified as Dr.Kusama.

' _I guess having a alter ego who moonlights as a phantom thief greatly increases his ability to work with unclear vision_...  _It makes sense since light would attract unwanted attention, Kid only attracts attention when he wants to_ '

"I'll stay here and call Nakamori-San and her father" The blond replied with a smirk, noting that the brunette didn't need babysitting right now.

"My mother wasn't called?" Kaito asked softly, Saguru purses his lip.

"Both Nakamoris and I have repeatedly attempted to call her but have yet to actually speak to her" The blond replied, inwardly cursing the flighty woman for being so hard to get ahold of.

' _Kaito could die, and it could possibly take weeks for her to find out_...'

The magician's face went blank momentarily before breaking out into a grin "Okay!" He smiled before following Dr.Kusama out of the room.

*

"Hakuba-Kun!" Aoko called happily as she stepped into the room, her father not far behind. Both looked much better than they had the last few times they'd visited. "Where's Kaito?" She inquired, noting the empty bed.

"Kaito left for an MRI, he should be back any minute now" Saguru replied as they took a seat.

' _It makes sense for Kaito to see Nakamori-san as a sister due to Nakamori-Keibu stepping in so often as his parental figure_ '

"Why does Kaito-kun need an MRI? I thought that he would be fine once he woke up" Ginzo asked gruffly, he didn't know much about medical stuff.

"Kaito is partially blind right now, he can only see blurs of colours" He paused at the shocked expressions, holding a hand up to prevent interruptions. "Kaito is his usual cheery self, and there's a good chance that it's only temporary since his eyes weren't physically damaged. The hope is that the cause is swelling, and that swelling will eventually fade" He breathed.

 _'I admire how well he's taking it, I know that I'd be terribly distraught if I were in his place_ '

"Aoko is so glad that Bakaito is awake, hopefully his sight comes back soon" She added, blushing faintly. The blond noted the new clothes on the girl.

' _I've got to remind Kaito to let her free_ '

"Even if he doesn't get his full vision back, Kaito-Kun will be fine" Ginzo stayed with a confident smile, the blond raised a brow.

"Why do you say that Nakamori-Keibu?" He inquired, genuinely curious in how the inspector could have such blond faith.

' _Kaito is only human... No matter how special and crazy he is_ '

"You haven't known Kaito for long so it's understandable that you don't know" Aoko began with a fond smile. "Aoko remembers that Kaito spent a whole summer blind" At Saguru's startled look she giggled "Don't worry he wasn't hurt, he was just being a dummy. He wanted to be able to walk perfectly in the dark, he refused to open his eyes, even when his dad asked him to" Aoko paused in thought "Aoko thinks that we were eight, it shocked everyone that he didn't listen to Toichi-San, but eventually we stopped fighting him when we realized how serious he was" She finished.

Ginzo nodded in agreement "His persistence was both adorable and horrifying at times, I don't know how many times that kid almost gave me a heart attack that summer" He smiled fondly "But eventually he could move around like normal, it was amazing"

' _I am astounded that Kaito has managed to live this long with how crazy his stunts can be_...'


	42. Chapter 42

"I like almost giving people heart attacks" The three occupants jumped at the unexpected voice. Kaito flashed them a cheeky grin as he made his way over towards his bed.

"Bakaito!" Aoko cried, leaping at the magician to trap him in a hug, almost knocking Kaito off his feet. "Idiots aren't supposed to get hurt" He froze in surprise for a few seconds at the sudden assault before returning the hug.

' _Urk... I prefer being able to see when people are after me_...'

"I'm fine Aoko" He laughed, petting his friend's hair soothingly in an attempt to calm her. "It's virtually impossible to get rid of me" The magician added.

"I would have to confirm Kaito's words, he is very hard to get rid of" Saguru stated, remembering all the times in the past when the magician had decided to pester him. Kaito snickered at his words.

Aoko pulled away, wiping away tears from her eyes, a small smile on her lips. "True... Bakaito is almost always around to mess with people"

"So when are you scheduled to be released Kaito-Kun?" Ginzo asked, once his daughter had calmed down.

"Ah, preferably they want me to stay a week for observations..." Kaito paused for a moment before continuing "But Dr.Kusama said that it would be better if I leave as soon as possible to deter the other staff from being nosey" The magician grinned "He's actually personally reading my MRI right now to reduce the wait time"

' _Dr.Kusama really seems to truly care about his patients, he seems curious about my condition, but is respecting my privacy_ '

Aoko blinked "Aoko doesn't understand, shouldn't they be trying to keep you here as long as possible?" She knew that the longer a person staid, the more money the hospital got.

"That's true but..." Kaito scratched his cheek sheepishly "Since the circumstances surrounding my injuries are strange, he figured that the less attention I receive, the better"

' _It's less likely for people to find out about me if I don't receive attention_ '

"Now that you mention it, you're condition  _is_  strange... Why are you so thin? And why did your injuries heal so quickly?" Ginzo inquired, looking pointedly at Kaito's collarbone that seemed to just have skin stretched over it, jutting out much more than what was normal for the teen.

Kaito gave a small shrug "I got really sick at the start of the break, and how should I know why I'm all better?" He crossed his arms in mock annoyance "I don't even remember getting hurt" The magician scoffed, feeling a little guilty for being rude.

' _Though being rude is much better than having them find out_ '

*

"Okay, I've read the results" Dr.Kusama announced once he stepped into the room, all attention turned towards him. "The scans look quite promising, the swelling has been reduced greatly, though there is still some present" He paused with a smile "The location where the swelling is most present is his occipital lobe, which is the part of the brain that controls sight" He let out a breath before continuing "This is good news because this means that as the swelling goes down, his vision may improve, it's highly improbable of Kuroba-Kun permanently losing his sight"

_'Good, I don't like being unable to see sneak attacks_ '

Saguru felt some of his tension melt away at the news, he knew that the magician probably would have been fine either way, however it was still a relief. Both Aoko and Ginzo hugged Kaito excitedly.

"That's a relief, pulling pranks is much more fun when I can see both the results and their faces" Kaito smirked, Saguru shook his head in exasperation.

"Bakaito!" Aoko went to smack the offending brunette, but her hand was caught by the blond.

"Please refrain from hitting Kaito on the head until he has recovered from his brain damage" Saguru sighed, not wanting the girl to worsen Kaito's condition.

_'I hadn't expected that_ '

"Oh..." Aoko blinked in confusion before blushing in embarrassment. "That makes sense, Aoko doesn't want Kaito to become even more of an idiot" She replied softly.

"My hero!" Kaito cheered, trapping the blond in a hug. "You saves this poor injured soul from the demon's ire!"

"Get off of me!" Saguru huffed, trying to pry the magician off of him.

"Bakaito..." Both teens froze at Aoko's icy tone, Kaito immediately let go of Saguru, instead opting to hide behind the taller teen.

' _Oh shit, Ahoko's really angry_...'

"I'm sorry!" The magician wailed dramatically, running towards the window and jumping out of it. He'd memorized all of the main hospital layouts when he first started out as Kaitou Kid. It wouldn't do for his detectives to not get visited by him while injured.

*

"Wait no!" Dr.Kusama tried to grab Kaito, but was too slow. The doctor looked at the other occupants in shock at the lack of care on their faces. "Why didn't you stop him?!?" His voice laced with horror as he looked out the third floor window. There was no body.

"Kaito-Kun is perfectly able to take care of himself, even while mostly blind" Ginzo replied with a shrug, everyone but the doctor was used to the magician's sudden window escapes.

_'I forgot how weird we all must seem to someone not desensitized to Kaito's strange antics_...'

Dr.Kusama gave them all a weird look before shaking his head with a sigh. "I probably don't want to know do I?" He breathed.

"Probably not, Kaito is special, that's all you need to know" Aoko replied with a smile.

*

_'It seems as if I accidentally freaked out Dr.Kusama, bonus!_ '

The brunette snickered from his hiding place under the windowsill, he remembered there being a tree nearby, however he wasn't sure of the exact location.

_'I guess I'll climb down the wall slowly instead of jumping for a tree that may or may not be there_...'

If he messed up there'd be a commotion, and he'd be embarrassed by his amateur mistakes. He was a proud Kaitou.


	43. Chapter 43

The blond wasn't surprised to see Kaito lounging on his couch when he returned home, though he did wonder how the magician arrived before him.

 _'I should just refrain from questioning things when it involves Kaito_ '

"You seem quite comfortable" Saguru stated as he walked over towards the brunette, he had to relay the information Akako had given him.

Indigos snapped towards his general direction, the magician waving his arm lazily. "I am, this couch is really comfy"

"That is very good" The blond replied as he took a seat on one of the chairs "While you were unconscious, Koizumi-San visited"

"Why would Akako visit me? We're not even friends?" The magician's form has tensed at the mention of the red witch.

"She had sensed the awakening of a new magic user, you are apparently a white magic user" Saguru replied, observing the other's reaction, Kaito gave no visible sign of his feelings.

"What does that mean? I usually try my best to avoid real magic so I don't know much" Kaito sighed.

 _'At least he doesn't seem to be too upset about becoming a magic user_ '

"We've already seen your magic at work, white magic apparently is focused on healing" Saguru paused before continuing "I believe that your magic is the only reason that both you and Kudo-Kun are still alive, and that the wind affinity of your magic may have also helped prevent the both of you from suffocating" The blond breathed, feeling thankful that his friend's magic awakened at the right time.

Kaito was silent for a few moments before responding "Healing magic... I guess I could learn to like with that, it sounds much better than if I'd gotten black magic instead" The magician grimaced, all the stories he'd heard that involved black magic involved death, or eventual corruption of the user.

"I agree, the concept of white magic suites you, though it is apparently one of the rarest forms of magic. It would be best for you to hide its existence from even other magic users" Saguru smirked, it was very like Kaito to end of with the rarest version of things.

"Is there anything else? You mentioned Kudo being involved? Just how was he involved?" Kaito asked, dreading the answer. Whoever that specific detective was involved with anything, things ended up really weird.

' _So Kudo-Kun's Words were True about them being acquainted, otherwise Kaito wouldn't be as calm as he currently is_ '

"Apparently he got captured because he looked like you, he also saw your wings and swore not to tell anybody about then" Kaito let out a weary sigh at his words, hanging his head in defeat.

"Of  _course_  Kudo knows" Kaito whined, covering his face with his hands in exasperation. "Kudo seems to know almost everything!"

Saguru smirked at Kaito's reaction, pleased that it was a more positive one than when he was told about Dr.Kalos. "You don't seem too concerned about Kudo-Kun finding out about your wings"

The magician gave a shrug in response "Kudo is someone that I would completely trust to keep my wings a secret" He paused, a wry smile on his lips "He knows how secrets can both get others killed, or save lives. My secret could get me killed if it's found out by the wrong people, therefore Kudo will keep the secret safe" The detective gave the brunette a curious look.

"I'm astounded by the level of trust that exists between the two of you" Saguru admitted.

"It's just that we understand each other on a certain level that I can't explain to you, his secrets are his own" Kaito yawned, curling up onto the couch.

' _I suppose it's only natural that secrets are important to someone who moonlights as an international jewel thief_ '

"Then why didn't you go to him for help when you grew wings?" Saguru asked, curious as to why the other didn't seek out a guaranteed ally.

"I wasn't thinking straight, he didn't even cross my mind" He gave another yawn "Though I'm glad I didn't, Kudo already has enough shit to deal with" He paused, grimacing "And I'm scared of his scientist friend, she'd want to run so many tests on me and Kudo would be too scared of her to save me" Saguru raised a brow at the new information.

"I'm sure that Kudo wouldn't let anything  _really_  bad happen would he?" The blond figured that the eastern detective wouldn't condone inhumane tests.

' _Kudo-Kun values life too much for that_ '

"Meh, the creepy scientist still creeps me out, I think she even likes me a bit" Kaito shivered "I don't want any extra attention from someone who could probably swap my hands or fingers in my sleep"

The detective blinked, horrified at the implications "I understand your fears"

*

"So Kudo, isn't it funny that tha Kaitou Kid could be mistaken for ya twin brother?" Heiji teased as they exited a coffee shop, thankfully only one murder had occurred and it had been swiftly solved by the two detectives.

Shinichi gave his friend a flat look, unimpressed. "Our fathers were twins, thus we are cousins that are biologically similar enough to be half brothers" He smirked at the Osakan's shocked look "So no, I don't think that it's weird that we look so similar" He finished, savouring the complete disbelief.

 _'It's nice to get back at Hattori, he's always appearing without warning at inconvenient times_ '

"Yer serious?!?!" The detective of the west gasped, green eyes wide with shock. At Shinichi's confirming nod, Heiji let out a disbelieving chuckle. "Why is yer life so messed up?" Shinichi ignored the comment, instead focused on savouring the strong bite of his black coffee.

' _I'll check up on Kuroba in a few days_ '

"By the way Hattori, where's your girlfriend?" Heiji stopped dead in his tracks, frozen for a few moments before letting out a string of curses. "Dammit! I knew I forgot something!" He hissed, whipping out his cellphone. Shinichi  took another sip of his coffee, glancing over the cup at his friend in amusement.


	44. Chapter 44

"Why am I so tired?" Kaito whined as he changed the side of the couch that he was curled up on.

"Maybe you're not as recovered as you seem to be acting, or you could be possibly dealing with magical exhaustion of some sort?" The last bit phrased more like a question than a statement. "I really don't really know what to think when it comes to you" Saguru admitted, smirking when Tsuki decided to perch on the drowsy magician's head.

' _Ah! I think that's Tsuki?'_

"Either way, I'm actually beginning to feel hungry, maybe food will wake me up" Kaito breathed as he lazily reaches up to give Tsuki a few good scratches, the dove cooing happily at the attention.

"Or you could sleep off your exhaustion and eat when you wake up" The blond countered, looking at is pocket watch "It is exactly 11:04am, why don't you take a nap, and I'll wake you up for lunch at 1" Saguru smiles at how Kaito yawned once more. "It's already been quite a busy day"

' _That does sound sort of nice_...'

Indigos narrowed as the brunette stuck his tongue out in his general direction playfully. "Fine, I'll sleep until lunch, I don't like feeling groggy" The magician yawned before curling up even further on the couch.

*

"Wake up" Kaito sluggishly blinked awake at the familiar voice, internally panicking very briefly at his lack of sight before remembering about his current circumstances.

' _But I'm so comfy_...'

"Dun wanna..." The magician slurred, curling back into his previous position. The impact of something soft slamming into him startled him off of the couch, having not expected any form of assault.

"Lunch is ready, don't let Baaya's efforts go to waste" Saguru chided as he watched the magician scramble to his feet, looking very disgruntled.

' _Jerk._..'

"I'm only getting up so that I wouldn't be rude to Baaya" Kaito huffed, stalking over towards the kitchen. He liked his sleep, and didn't enjoy when it was cut short.

"Then you have my thanks" Baaya smiled, amused by the brunette's antics. "We're having wraps today, I've taken to filling your with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, scrambled eggs, and some mayonnaise" She kindly added, not wanting the flavour to startle the teen.

"I didn't know tomatoes and eggs could go in wraps" Kaito replied as he curiously picked up his wrap and sniffed it, taking a bite once he decided it didn't smell too weird. "Oh!, this is good! Strange but good!" He stated after he finished chewing his first bite.

' _I never would have thought to make a wrap with all of these ingredients_...'

"Thank you" Baaya replied before picking up her own wrap, a simple one with just ham, cheese, lettuce and mayonnaise. She wasn't a vegetarian so she didn't have to add in additional items for extra nutrition. Saguru's wrap was the same as her own.

"I must agree, these wraps are splendid" The blond stated.

Baaya smiled at how the two boys were eating "Kaito, do you not think it would be good to let your wings out when here?" At the magician's curious gaze, she explained. "It would do good to practice moving them, and getting used to their existence, and we are not expecting any uninvited visitors"

' _She does make sense, it's best to get used to my wings_ '

Kaito nodded in agreement, and a few seconds later the teen's black wings were in full view, looking more sleek than usual.

*

After they finished eating, dishes were magicked into the sink completely rinsed, Saguru rolled his eyes at the show off. "Is it really necessary to do that every single time?" The blond inquired, wondering why Kaito never just walked over to the sink like a normal person.

The magician stuck out his tongue, his arms behind his head as he leaned back against his chair. "Of course, practice is vital when it comes to magic" He teased, a sudden cloud of white smoke surrounding the detective.

"Kaito!" Saguru coughed, waving away the smoke to see that the magician was no longer sitting in his chair.

' _He's so easy to rile up_!'

Baaya covered her mouth to stifle an amused giggle, feeling satisfied with her decision to get Saguru to seek out Kaito as a friend. The magician was probably the only person in existence who could get the blond to act childishly.

"Yes dear?" The magician's teasing tone came from an empty corner in the room.

"Stop throwing your voice around!" The blond growled, a faint blush dusting his cheeks, he wasn't good with teasing.

' _I wonder how flustered I could get him_...'

"But I adore how flustered you get..." Kaito purred, this time his voice coming from right behind him, Saguru flinched, whirling around to be met with open air. Baaya snuck out of the room to leave the two alone.

"You're really grating on my nerves Kaito!" The detective growled, stalking around the kitchen in search of the magician.

"Isn't that the main point though?" Kaito's laughter echoed from all directions before he skunk up behind Saguru and trapped him in a hug. "Got you!" He cheered.

"Bloody hell!" Saguru hissed, flinching at the unexpected contact.

"And That is revenge for making me get all comfy, then waking me up" Kaito smiled, releasing the older teen.

' _A Kaitou always seeks revenge_!'

"Very well, next time I will allow you to eat cold food without the option of reheating it" Saguru replied, his face now void of any flush.

"Or you can let me sleep, and let me reheat my food" Kaito's wings fluffing slightly.

The blond shook his head, amusement gleaming within his eyes. "You're such a child" He breathed in exasperation.

"Not a child, a Kid!" Kaito huffed, flashing the detective a cocky smirk before walking past, Saguru stuck out his foot at the last minute, feeling pure satisfaction as he watched Kaito stumble and fall.

"You should watch where you're going" Saguru chuckled, unfazed by the brunette's annoyed glare.

' _Traitor_...'


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost put up chappy 55 instead... That would have really confused you guys...

"It's not right to trip the visibly impaired" Kaito huffed, scrambling to his feet.

Saguru shook his head, smirking. "I agree with your words, however..." He trailed of for a few moments before continuing "You are the one exception, you're  more capable than most people twice your age" The blond replied.

Kaito flashed a cheeky grin "True, I could potentially do another heist as I am"

"I'd rather you not hold another heist until your vision is completely clear" Saguru breathed "If not for your safety than for my own peace of mind" The detective shivered at the thought of the magician flying his hang glider blindly.

' _Kaito would also have some difficulty disguising as someone, though I don't dare mention that fact. That idiot could take my words as a challenge and throw a heist in an attempt to prove me wrong_ '

"I guess that makes sense, plus there's nothing of interest around to steal" The blond raised a brow at the magician's words.

"True, there have been no new large gem imports since your last heist..." Saguru muttered, Kaito blinked at the comment.

"Hey Saguru... I think I trust you enough to tell you why I steal" The magician's voice was soft, as he pointedly looked towards the ground.

' _The reason... I've got to admit I'm quite curious_...'

"Whenever you're comfortable, I'll be here to listen" The blond soothed, not wanting to pressure the other, just in case he changed his mind.

"I—" Kaito paused before continuing. "I've never actually told anyone before" He glanced around nervously, despite not being able to see anything but blurry colours.

' _I don't doubt him, Kaito doesn't have many people close to him, and even fewer know of his other identity_ '

"Would you feel more comfortable in your bedroom?" Saguru inquired, knowing that the bedrooms had the most privacy within the house.

The brunette nodded wordlessly, grabbing Saguru's wrist before slowly pulling him towards his bedroom. Neither teen spoke as they ascended the stairs, neither did Saguru mention how the other's wings were trembling. When they reached the bedroom, Kaito swiftly locked the door behind them before bundling all of the bedding around himself. The lights hadn't been turned on. Saguru was silent as he took a seat on the bed, watching as Kaito closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before releasing.

"My dad died due to an accident" Kaito exhaled, his voice soft. "Or at least that's what I was told" He gripped the blanket tighter. "I didn't believe it though, my dad was the best magician in the world, he'd never have made such a stupid mistake" He paused "One day, I found out that my dad was Kaitou Kid, this was shortly after Kid's reappearance..." Indigos opened, blazing fiercely "I thought he was my dad... That he was somehow still alive..." Kaito sucked in a breath, his voice wavering. "So I dressed up as Kaitou Kid and confronted him..."

Saguru stayed silent, not daring to interrupt his friend. Kaito lowered his head, shaking it in defeat. "It wasn't my dad... It was his elderly assistant... He was trying to lure out the first Kid's murderers" His voice cracked "My dad  _didn't_  die in an accident, he was murdered" The magician hissed, nails digging into his palms. "So I became Kaitou Kid, I wanted, no,  _needed_  to catch my father's killers" Kaito flashed the blond a crooked smile "What better way to lure out criminals with a vendetta than to become a shiny white target?" He let out a bitter laugh, startling Saguru. "They have yet to disappoint me in their eagerness..." His tone was listless.

"So you're risking your life for something as stupid as revenge?!?" Saguru growled as he grasped Kaito's shoulders, horrified at the magician's reasons. "Your life is worth more than petty revenge!"

' _Every school day he's always smiling... How could his intentions be that of revenge_?'

Kaito shook his head "No, it's no longer just about revenge"

Saguru released his grip, curious. "No longer about revenge?" He inquired.

The brunette nodded "I learned of their goals during my first encounter with  _Them,_ their main sniper Snake, shot me in the heart" At Saguru's horrified gasp, Kaito patted him on the shoulder. "The gem was in my breast pocket, it deflected the bullet... I followed them and learned of their goal" Kaito paused "Their goal is a gem that grants immortality named Pandora. Apparently when held up to the light of the full moon, Pandora will shine red and grant immortality..." Kaito closed his eyes "They will kill anybody to reach their goal... Imagine what would happen if they find Pandora" Saguru shuddered at the implications, a large group of immortal killers.

' _Countless people would die_...'

"So you're looking for Pandora" The blond breathed, remembering all of the magician's more recent heist targets, most of them were large gems.

"Yes, and when I find it, I will destroy it right in front of their eyes" Kaito's voice was soft "Until then, I can't stop my heists. If I don't check the jewels,  _They_  will..." The magician grimaced "And I don't think they'd abide by my rule of 'no one gets hurt'..." The brunette gave Saguru a reassuring smile "Less people die if I'm the only one getting shot at" The detective felt an icy chill cling to him.

"If you got caught by the police, you wouldn't have lived long enough to be properly convicted would you?" Saguru felt slightly nauseous as he recalled all of the brunette's close calls.

' _Kaito has been so close to death this whole time_...'

"If I get caught, I die" Kaito agreed with a wry smile "But it's worth it, if I think about all the people I've both helped and saved as Kaitou Kid"

"No, it's not worth it Kaito. Can you not tell the police?" The blond inquired, remembering how close the magician was to division 2.

"I can't,  _They_  have infiltrated the police and have rats everywhere. They're similar to the organization that Kudo took down, plus, who in their right mind would believe in magical gems?" Kaito snickered.


	46. Chapter 46

The blond thought about it for a few moments before letting out a defeated sigh. "Unfortunately I must agree with you, if I had never seen your wings, I never would have believed in the existence of magical gems" Saguru breathed, Kaito gave him a wry smile.

' _Thankfully Akako made the existence of magic known to me before I grew wings, I probably would have dealt with everything worse than I already had_...'

"Yup, and the worldwide exposure of magic from the result of my story being told would cause chaos" The brunette replied, a wry smile on his lips. "Everyone would do their best to seek out those who can use magic in an attempt to exploit them or worse"

Saguru grimaced "And your new healing magic would be something that everyone would go after..." He didn't know much, but he figured that any kind of magic had some sort of cost.

Kaito nodded "I'd probably be run ragged from continuously healing people and die from magic exhaustion"

"Magic exhaustion?" Saguru inquired, he didn't like the implications.

"Yeah, as you've probably already guessed, magic isn't free. It requires energy from the user" Kaito shrugged "Though I'm not sure about my specific limits, I figure that healing both Kudo and myself is the reason why I was in a coma... maybe" The magician tacked on the last part as an afterthought.

' _I've felt a weird sort of emptiness in my chest ever since I've woken up from the coma, it's gotten less apparent than before though. It could be my magical reserves?_...'

"So your sight will heal normally until you regain some of your magical energy?" The blond inquired, the magician gave a shrug.

"Probably" Kaito let out a yawn "I'm tired so I'm going back to sleep"

*

The blond woke up to a note two feet away from his face, he read it and let out a sigh.

' _So he's finally decided to release Nakamori-San_ '

He curled back up in his blanket, going back to sleep. He figured that after the last few days, sleeping in wouldn't do much harm.

*

"Hey Aoko!" Kaito chirped as the door opened, the blur was too short to be her father.

"Why are you here first thing in the morning Bakaito?" The girl yawned, having just woken up a few minutes ago.

The magician flashed her a smile before giving her a yellow rose "I'd like to treat you to breakfast then just hang out somewhere" Kaito replied, wishing he could make out her expression. "I've been neglecting my poor poor sister!" He snickered, deciding to go the oblivious route to help her save face.

' _I'm sorry Aoko, at least you'll hopefully be more mad at me than sad... I can deal with anger_...'

Aoko blinked in confusion "Did you hit your head again Bakaito? You don't have a sister"

The magician shook his head, his grin widening. "Of course I do! My beloved sister is you!" He shouted dramatically, as he pulled Aoko into a hug before swiftly pulling away, just out of striking distance.

' _I'm so so sorry Aoko_...'

"Aoko is your sister?" Aoko asked softly, having no knowledge at all of them being related.

"Of course, you are my sister in everything but blood!" The magician really hated his poker face sometimes, being so good at hiding his own cues, made him exceptionally talented in noticing other people's cues even without sight. His best friend was hurting, and it was completely his fault.

Aoko was silent for a few moments "Aoko wants to go to that new really expensive breakfast cafe!" She huffed, her voice slightly strained. Kaito nodded, pretending not to notice her pain.

' _My poor wallet's suffering will be worth helping her cheer up_ '

"Your wish is my command!" The magician snickered, Bowing dramatically.

*

"Hey Bakaito, are you gay?" Aoko inquired absentmindedly as she stirred her spoon in her half melted strawberry parfait. She'd calmed down a bit after consuming her meal.

' _He has spent so much time with Aoko, but he's not interested_...'

The magician choked on his hot fudge sundae, spluttering a bit before grabbing his chocolate milk and taking a large gulp, effectively removing the blockage. "What?" He coughed, taking another quick sip before putting his glass down.

"Aoko asked if you were gay" Aoko stated, a little amused by Kaito's reactions.

' _It would hurt less if he was, then Aoko would know it was nothing that she did to make Kaito only think of her as a sister_ '

The magician was silent for a few moments before tilting his head in confusion "I like both males and females, it's all about their personality. Is there a problem?" He asked, a little concerned, he wasn't completely sure on where Aoko stood on that particular topic. He'd never really talked about romantic things or sexuality with her with her before outside as playful jokes.

' _So he likes guys too_...'

"You've been spending a lot of time with Hakuba-Kun, are you guys dating?..." Aoko's voice was soft as she avoided looking at the magician.

"Wha?" Kaito spluttered, needing a few seconds to actually take in what she said. "Me and Saguru? No we're not dating" The magician replied honestly, he'd already lied and hurt her enough. Aoko didn't need any more lies.

' _But they have gotten so close recently_...'

Aoko pursed her lips, feeling a sharp pang in her chest before shaking it away. "Would you be against dating him?" She inquired.

Kaito was silent for a few minutes as he thought, Aoko patiently waited since it seemed as if he was taking her question seriously. "I wouldn't be against it I guess" He gave an unsure shrug. "I really like him as a person and unlike you, we weren't raised together" He casually took a sip from his drink, feeling bad about the last bit but knowing it could help. "If something happens, it happens I guess" Aoko nodded in response, feeling a little better about the situation. She was glad to know she did nothing wrong.

' _If Aoko can't have Kaito... Maybe Hakuba-Kun would be good for him... It still hurts a little though_...'

*

' _I'm sorry Aoko, I really do love you... Just not in the way you want me to_...'


	47. Chapter 47

"Aoko wants to apologize" Aoko stated softly after a few seconds, the magician blinked in confusion, resting his chin in the palm of his hand.

' _What does Aoko have to apologize for? I'm the one who hurt her_ '

"You having done anything wrong Ahoko" Kaito teased, playfully flicking her forehead with his free hand.

She gave a light scowl before letting out a huff, rolling her eyes at his antics. "Aoko recently learned about phobias..." She started softly "Aoko didn't know they could actually be serious... I thought that it just meant that you had a little more fear than everyone else..." She continued softly, guilt gnawing at her as she remembered the uncharacteristically strong reactions the magician had shown in the face of fish. "Aoko promises to never use your phobia against you ever again" Aoko finished.

' _So Nakamori-Keibu did actually talk to her_...'

Kaito flashed her a grateful smile "Thank you" He breathed in relief. "I might hang around more often now that I don't have to worry about it"

Aoko bit her lip, taking in the information. "You did stop coming by as often once your mom revealed your fear..."

' _That and the timing was around when I started doing heists_...'

Kaito gave her a wry smile "It's not your fault you didn't know, and I didn't confront you about it" He admitted, he'd been too wary of her pulling out a fish before he even managed to get to his main point. It was stupid, but he couldn't help it.

"Can Aoko ask why Kaito is afraid of them?" She paused before continuing "It's fine if you don't want to tell Aoko" She added quickly, now knowing that it could possibly be a really sensitive topic.

' _Why am I afraid of them_?'

The magician frowned momentarily in thought before shrugging. "I have no idea why, but whenever I see them, I just feel paralyzed with fear and a sense of helplessness consumes me" Kaito replied, not wanting to look further into that topic.

' _If I don't think, I can't fear_ '

Aoko frowned before nodding in acceptance, noting her friend's obvious reluctance on expanding the topic further. "Aoko understands, and would avoid anything that did that to me as well"

*

"Hope you had a nice time!" Kaito grinned as he gave Aoko a quick wave as she walked up to her door. He discreetly sent her father a text explaining what had happened concerning their relationship, noting for him to give her extra attention.

He started heading towards Saguru's house once Aoko had safely returned home. It was still very difficult for him to see, so he relied on his doves to tell him when the traffic signals allowed people to cross. He could safely cross without traffic signals, however he wouldn't be able to spot any police officers nearby that could scold him for jaywalking. Kaito silently snickered to himself at the thought of both Saguru and Ginzo's reactions to him jaywalking while being unable to see.

' _Saguru would freak out and Nakamori-Keibu would yell at me until I was deaf_ '

*

"You seem comfy" The blond looked up from his case notes, he'd been lounging in a soft armchair in the study while going through them.

 _'Judging by Kaito's mood, it seems as if his talk with Nakamori-San wasn't catastrophic_ '

"I take it Nakamori-San is okay?" Saguru inquired, just in case the other was putting up a poker face.

"Yeah, though my poor wallet has a severe scar that will take a while to heal..." Kaito flopped into another armchair, enjoying how he seemed to sink into it. "Called her my sister and took her to the new expensive breakfast place, I think it's called Breaking Fast" He smirked "It's apparently written in English so I think that they may have messed up the translation"

Saguru smirked at the information "I wouldn't doubt it, there are plenty of mistranslated items" He mused, plenty of them had been amusing, while a few of them had been somewhat creepy.

"Yup, and it was also way too expensive, especially with how much Aoko can eat when she's not paying..." Kaito whined.

"Poor you, I guess you won't be having a heist anytime soon" Saguru mused, knowing that the heist must be expensive due to how extravagant they were.

"Nope, I need to do some work to collect more funds... Being a phantom thief who never truly steals is expensive" The magician sighed, giving Tsuki a little scratch on the head.

The blond raised a curious brow "And how do you collect enough money for your heists?" He asked, knowing that the brunette didn't have an official job.

 _'I know he wouldn't steal because it would make more sense for him to just keep the heist targets_ '

Kaito pointedly looked in the opposite direction of where he knew the blond was, a faint pink tinting his cheeks. "Ah just your everyday job, except for not being on any official payroll of course. People would wonder where all my money was going if my pay was official"

Golden eyes narrowed at the magician "It isn't anything illegal besides not being on a payroll is it?" He was fine with Kaito being Kaitou Kid, however he didn't want the other getting even more mixed up with criminals.

"Not exactly..." Kaito mused, his face perfectly neutral "It's just something I'd rather you not know about it, not for legal reasons, but for my own pride"

Saguru scoffed "You're able to strut around proudly in heels while dressed up as a hooker, I have high doubts that much could damage your already overblown pride"

"Hey! That is an art!" The brunette huffed, crossing his arms across his chest dramatically. "Do you know how much work is put into looking like a sexy female hooker?" Kaito scolded with false anger.

"I would say a lot since you're biologically a male and your hooker outfits expose an unsightly amount of skin that had occasionally made me wonder about you" Saguru smirked "Though I guess your identity of a male was completely confirmed when I rescued you" Kaito tilted his head in confusion "You were completely nude as I carried you"


	48. Chapter 48

Kaito blinked, his face flushed red before he fell out of the chair, clutching his stomach as he burst out in laughter. "Oh my god!" The magician giggled through his laughter. "That's so creepy!" He wheezed, at the blond's affronted snort the magician elaborated. "Not you" A few more giggles escaped "Whoever took my clothes" He breathed, finally managing to reel in his laughter as he sat up cross legged on the floor.

Saguru shook his head at the brunette's reaction, a small smile playing on his lips. "Thankfully there were no apparent signs of sexual assault so yes, they were just being as you say 'creepy' in their plans to sacrifice you" He replied softly, the possibilities had only hit him once the other had been sent off in the ambulance. It had been quite relieving when the doctors affirmed that both Kaito and Shinichi hadn't been  _touched_.

' _That's a relief_ '

"I guess cultists are naturally creepy" Kaito shrugged, grinning "After all, they are cultists" He added as he crawled back into the comfy chair, the fall had hurt his wings a bit but they didn't feel damaged. Golden eyes narrowed when the wings twitched.

"You fell on your wings, are they okay?" Saguru asked, concerned that one of the fragile bones had broken.

Kaito blinked before fanning them out to their full wingspan. "Yup, it just hurt for a few moments like if I'd walked into a wall or something"

' _I've started to not really notice my wings, maybe I'm just getting used to their presence_ '

"When your sight returns you should go out for a night flight" Saguru replied as he admired the wings, they looked almost completely different since the magician had unlocked his magic. The black feathers were significantly more sleek and shiny than before and had a certain luster that hadn't previously been there. "Your wings look quite a lot more beautiful than before" The detective added "I think your magic has enchanted them"

The magician blushed a little, Aoko's words lingering in his head for a few moments before he shook them away. "Really? I never actually gave them a good look before now" He scratched his cheek sheepishly "I was too busy freaking out and then I hid them, and now I can't see enough to even look at them" Kaito breathed.

' _Though I do think most feathered flying birds have pretty wings, so I probably will like their appearance. Thankfully my wings are normal shaped and not like an ostrich's wings_ '

"Well then you now have something else to look forward to" Saguru smiled, reaching over to pluck out a loose feather, it felt quite a lot smoother than the other feathers he'd picked up.

*

"Aoko, are you okay?" Ginzo asked softly from his daughter's doorway, the text he'd received from Kaito had disappointed him, but he had understood Kaito's reasoning.

' _It's a shame that Kaito-Kun won't become my son in law, but I can't blame him for seeing Aoko like a sister... I was the one who mostly raised him after Toichi's death_...'

Aoko looked up from where her face had been pushing into her pillow, her eyes were red and slightly puffy as if she'd been crying for a good while. "Y-Yeah, Aoko is okay" Her voice cracked slightly but neither bothered to mention it.

Ginzo smiled sadly as he walked over and took a seat on the floor beside her bed. "You know, there's this person that seems quite interested in you" He stated softly, recalling some of the text. "I think her name was Koizumi Akako, maybe you should get to know her better once you feel a little better"

 _'I'm not good with the touchy feeling things, if only her mom was here to help, she'd know how to make Aoko feel better_ '

"Akako-Chan?" Aoko inquired softly, blinking in confusion. She'd thought that her pretty classmate had a crush on Kaito. "I thought she liked Kaito"

"Well I overheard Kaito-Kun whining to Hakuba-Kun that he wanted to keep 'Akako and her creepy witchyness' away from you since you're too good for her" Ginzo lied, hoping that Kaito hadn't lied to him in the text.

' _Why is Kaito-Kun trying to get Aoko with someone he doesn't approve of_?'

An annoyed scowl crossed over Aoko's face "Bakaito is so rude! Akako-Chan is really nice!" She growled, recalling how her friend always went out of his way to avoid Akako.

Ginzo smiled, his daughter seemed to have regained more of her energy. "Then maybe you should hang out with her just to get back at Kaito-Kun and prove him wrong"

"Aoko thinks that she will!" Aoko huffed, crossing her arms in defiance "Bakaito is a big jerk and doesn't deserve Aoko's attention" She added with a confident nod.

' _She's so strong, my wife would be so proud_ '

*

"I can see colours more brightly than before" Kaito mused as he shuffled his deck of cards, he hadn't once messed up a single trick despite his lack of sight, instead he flowed through the tricks smoothly.

"That is a relief" Saguru breathed, it was the first bit of definite proof that the magician's sight would indeed improve. It was highly likely that it would, however, there had always been that small chance of it not improving, that option hadn't even been talked about.

"I wish it was improving faster though..." The blond let out a sigh as he tossed a small book at Kaito's head. The magician let out a soft squeak of surprise as his cards scattered all over the ground at the impact. "What was that for?!" Kaito whined as he began feeling around the floor for his cards, unfortunately they were of a similar shade of faded light blue as the floor.

"You are improving quickly, and will continue to do so. Stop whining" The detective scolded with a smirk, not bothering to help Kaito collect his cards since it would give Kaito something to do.

' _Jerk_ '

Kaito huffed at the response.


	49. Chapter 49

Saguru observed silently as Kaito experimentally began flexing his wings into different directions, he needed a break from the cold cases he'd been working on and the magician was interesting to watch.

' _He better not try to fly before he can see clearly_ '

"I think I've got the hang of properly controlling my wings" Kaito mused as he gave a few strong flaps, sending papers flying off of the side table.

"Kaito, please refrain from sending things onto the ground" The blond sighed, leaning down to collect the scattered files, grateful that they were numbered.

"But I'm bored..." The magician whined, he'd forgotten to collect more materials for pranks from his own home when he'd visited Aoko. "And nothing interesting is happening on my dove cams" Kaito sighed, his wings flailing outwards before tucking neatly behind his back. He kind of actually liked having wings.

' _At least he doesn't seem to have a lot of his pranking tools, he would have already done something horrendous by now if he did_ '

The blond suddenly paused in his thoughts when the magician's words registered. "Did you just say 'Dove cams?'...." He warily inquired, already not liking the idea.

Indigo eyes blinked innocently as the magician made his face one of complete innocence. "Yeah, I have dove cams follow my detectives that get into the most trouble" He flashed Saguru a grin "Especially Kudo" He chuckled "You don't want to know how many messed up things the guy gets into" Kaito added.

Golden eyes narrowed in suspicion "Am I right to assume that you also had a dove cam on me as well?" The blond asked, a little annoyed that his privacy had been breached without his knowledge.

"Of course! You're one of my detectives!" Kaito beamed, spreading his arms out theatrically his smile melting away some of the blond's annoyance.

 _'He admits to spying on others so easily_...'

"Kaito, please refrain from sending any doves after me" Saguru asked, not wanting his privacy to be further intruded upon.

"Nope" Kaito snickered "You may not get into as much trouble as Kudo, but you still get into scuffles" The magician snapped his fingers and Tsuki flew over from his head onto Saguru's head. "It's a safety measure" Indigos looked over at the blond's general direction "I'd rather not find you dead one day where I otherwise could have helped you" He breathed.

Saguru pursed his lips, somewhat understanding the magician's intentions. He would have felt the same way if he were in Kaito's shoes. "The dove cams at least only intrude partially on the targets privacy?" At the magician's nod he let out a sigh. "Fine, if only because I know you aren't using the cams with nefarious intentions" Saguru replied, knowing that even if he didn't agree, Kaito would have probably still sent dove cams after him.

Kaito rolled his eyes "You better not call me a stalker" His grin widened "After all, your main hobby used to be stalking me, isn't that right Stalker-San?" He teased.

The blond's face turned red as he spluttered "I wasn't stalking you! I was investigating you!" Kaito smirked, imagining the other's red face.

"Whatever you say Stalker-San" The brunette snickered before disappearing in a puff of blue smoke.

*

"So you're the one who attacked me" The magician drawled, brown eyes looked over in surprise.

"Why have you visited me little angel?" Kal asked sweetly, he hadn't gotten a good look at the other's eyes the last time he'd seen the angel, but those indigo eyes were mesmerizing.

' _An even better sacrifice than I'd initially thought_...'

The magician kept his face blank "Don't mess around with your words, the cameras are sending a looped feed to the monitoring room" Kaito paused, taking a step closer to the bars. "Why did you betray Saguru's trust?" He growled, his friend already had enough social problems as it was, Saguru didn't need to be betrayed.

' _Oh? He thinks that I was the one who ratted them out_?'

Kal licked his lips "Your mistaken, someone from my group saw you and reported your existence" Indigos narrowed, Kal raised his hands in defence. "I didn't give you away, I always keep true to my words. I'd already promised secrecy before even seeing you, therefore I couldn't expose you, despite how much I really wanted to" He added, the little angel seemed harder to read than most people.

"How do I know you're not lying?" The magician's words were clipped.

Kal raised a brow "Well one of my followers said they saw a boy with wings running across the rooftops, he described your appearance vaguely" Kal inwardly smirked at how the angel tensed at his words. "That was quite careless of you little angel" Kal's voice was sickly sweet as he stepped forwards in an attempt to brush Kaito's cheek with his hand through the bars.

 _'If only I had my anesthetic needles and a lock pick, if a young angel can get in, I could break out without being noticed_...'

Kaito recoiled at the contact, baring his teeth in a faint snarl, indigos blazing. He didn't like being unable to see small gestures. The magician didn't even remember the guy, but he still made Kaito's skin crawl. "Don't attempt to touch me" Kaito snarled before regaining his blank face and turning towards the doors.

*

"Where are you going? We can still talk" Kal inquired.

"I've already gotten all of the information that I need" Kaito deadpanned.

 _'It might help Saguru if he knew he wasn't technically betrayed_ '

"You'll be in trouble when I tell the guards about your visit little angel, why don't you stay a bit?" The magician rolled his eyes at the creep's words.

"Everyone here thinks that you're a mental case" Kaito scoffed "They wouldn't believe a single word that comes out of your mouth" He added before leaving the room and slipping into an air duct, his previous memorization of all police facility layouts was proving to be quite useful.

 _'I can totally believe that he's the creep that stole my clothes, he has that creepy vibe_ '


	50. Chapter 50

"Kaito didn't return for dinner" Baaya mused as she placed the magician's untouched meal into the fridge after covering it with plastic wrap. The grilled cheese and vegetable soup would heat up just fine when the teen wanted them.

"Hopefully that idiot has refrained from getting into another disaster like last time" Saguru sighed as he walked over to help Baaya clean up the dishes, it would be a good distraction.

' _I know Kaito is capable without his sight, but I'm still uneasy from recent events_ '

Baaya smiled at her ward's concerned expression. "I don't think you have to worry too much about Kaito, he's a crafty fellow considering how many people chase him"

* * *

' _Hmm... It's dark out according to the time, so nobody would see me through the trees_ '

The magician allowed his wings to appear, allowing their presence to send a buzz of energy through him. He sent Kimi to scout his path, making sure the living room's main window was indeed open, without the screen. He'd never live it down if he flew into a window or screen and Saguru found out about it. He smiled when Kimi came back with positive findings, giving her a few good scratches before sending her off.

* * *

A sudden crash started him, Saguru almost dropped his tea. With hurried confusion he ran over towards the source of the noise, seeing nothing amiss in the living room, he curiously looked out the window. Kaito was laying on the ground, covered in dirt and twigs, his wings splayed out on both sides, the magician glanced up at the sound of approaching footsteps. "Oops?" He chuckled, face flushed slightly in embarrassment. He'd both tried, and failed to fly, instead he'd plummeting like a stone through the branches.

 _'So it was only Kaito causing trouble again_...'

The blond let out an exasperated breath before stepping out the window and crouching down next to Kaito, extending his hand. "Are you okay?" He inquired, taking note of the multiple new abrasions littering both the magician's face and arms, they weren't deep but one scratch in particular was bleeding a fair amount right below Kaito's right eye. Some of the false skin had torn away a bit.

Kaito looked away from his blurry friend, a small pout on his lips as he accepted the hand. "Nothing but my pride was injured" He muttered, embarrassed that his plan to fly through the window had failed, he hadn't even managed to flap his wings before hitting the ground. Next time he'd jump from a higher place, he'd take flight for sure.

"Please don't tell me you attempted to fly" Saguru grimaced when the other stayed silent. "Well?"

"You told me not to tell you" Kaito smiled, holding in a wince when the movement affected the cut under his eye. It stung, and needed to be cleaned.

' _The insufferable_...'

Saguru glared at the response before shaking his head. "Come on, we should get you patched up before your healing decides that it wants to work again and closes your injuries while they're filled with dirt" The magician grimaced at the thought, injuries were meant to be cleaned first for a reason.

"Yeah you're right" He agreed, following the blond through the window and closing the glass.

* * *

"Your scars look quite bad even though they're over a year old" The magician blinked at Saguru in confusion, flinching slightly at the unexpected touch under his right eye. "Your fake skin was damaged" Saguru paused, gently rubbing some antibiotic ointment over the gash "I removed it as a whole while cleaning the cut since having it sagging on your face looked weird" Frowning slightly when panic flashed through Kaito's eyes for a brief second.

' _What scared him? Is it because I removed the fake skin_?'

"I hadn't noticed..." Kaito replied softly, leaning back, away from the other. He didn't like the scars, they were on his face and really ugly and would surely scare Aoko. He didn't like Saguru seeing them.

Golden eyes took in his friend's response, they narrowed. "Stop moving away!" Saguru huffed, grabbing the magician's left arm to keep him still as he applied a bandage to the cut. "What has got you acting weird all of a sudden?" He glanced directly into Kaito's eyes. "There's nothing wrong with letting people who know about your night persona see your scars" He paused "I understand hiding them from Nakamori-San and her father because you can't think up a good excuse, but you shouldn't hide from me" Saguru smirked "I already know that you're Kaitou Kid"

' _His actions are not making any sense_ '

Kaito gave him a slightly crooked grin "Sorry, I just don't like people seeing them, they're really ugly" He liked being able to easily create fake skin that could even fool most doctors and makeup artists.

' _Is he self conscious about his face? I never would have imagined that even being possible_ '

The detective gave Kaito a firm swat on the head, not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to get his point across. "You idiot, even with the scars on your face, you're still an attractive male" Saguru scoffed, wondering how someone intelligent enough to tell others ahead of time about his crimes yet still escape, could be so stupid as to ignore the obvious.

The magician blinked in surprise "Really? Whenever I see them, I can't help but think about how ugly they are"

Saguru gave Kaito's left hand a little squeeze "That's because you're biased since it's your own body, thus making you self conscious enough to pay more attention to what deem to be defects" He sighed "Trust me, if we ever think up a good enough excuse for your scars, people would only look curiously at first since it would be a change from what they're used to" He trailed off in thought before continuing "Though Nakamori-San may cry at the implications of how much you must have hurt or attack you in anger due to you not informing her earlier that you'd been hurt so bad"

Kaito pursed his lip in thought for a few moments "Okay" He replied softly "I'll believe you since you rarely lie..."


	51. Chapter 51

"Good, because I truly think that you're overreacting over how bad your scars are" Saguru stated, eyes narrowing in thought for a few moments "When was the last time that you've actually looked at your face without any cover on?"

Kaito blinked before shrugging, he didn't actually remember. Though he did start to purposely avoid looking at himself after losing his eye. "I can't honestly remember, I usually reapply the fake skin without a mirror" The magician admitted.

 _'I didn't like seeing the scars and remembering the pain... It was easier to forget and ignore_ '

The blond let out a sigh "It was most likely soon after receiving your injuries, the scars were still raw then" He gave the magician a firm pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, they've faded greatly from what I assume were once startlingly vibrant scars. I really think that you should take a look at your face once your vision returns"

Kaito gave a small smile "If you insist, then I guess I have to" He sighed, a little nervous. His friend didn't have the greatest taste in clothes, which made him wonder if the detective's aesthetic tastes were just as bad. He believed that Saguru wasn't lying, he just didn't have much faith in his tastes.

' _I've got to mentally prepare myself to not react badly and make him feel guilty when I do follow through... Saguru did used to walk around in public dressed like Sherlock Holmes after all_...'

"Good" Saguru nodded in approval "Its weird seeing you sound unsure about yourself" He admitted, though it was nice that Kaito wasn't hiding himself like before.

* * *

"Akako-Chan!" The red witch looked over in surprise to see Aoko running towards her. She'd been picking up some new items for potential spells.

"It's a surprise to see you here Aoko-Chan" Akako greeted, swiftly using her magic to transport some of the potentially suspicious items from her shopping bags into her house. She didn't need to carry them back, she'd just felt like doing something like a normal person for once.

' _It's quite late out, especially for Aoko-Chan to be walking all alone_ '

"Aoko just wanted to walk around, Aoko didn't want to be cooped up in her house" Aoko replied with a shrug, normally she'd have Keiko or Kaito with her but Keiko was busy and she wasn't ready to see Kaito yet.

"It's dangerous for us girls to be alone, would you like to accompany me?" Akako inquired, not one to miss out on a chance to obtain what she wanted. In this case, Aoko's affection.

' _Kuroba has already removed his claim from Aoko-Chan_ '

Aoko nodded after a moment's thought "Aoko would enjoy spending time with Akako-Chan"

* * *

"When my magic is restored and somehow heals me, I'm healing your hands" Saguru blinked at the offhand comment.

"I guess Kaitou Kid isn't one to miss details" Saguru smirked, his hands were barely even burnt and he'd have already forgotten about them if it weren't for the bandages covering his fingers. "It's fine, the burns were barely even mild at worst. I quickly let go when pain registered" He reassured.

' _He most likely received the burns in his efforts to save me_ '

Kaito shrugged, leaning back into the armchair "It would be good practice, I'd like to eventually hone my healing abilities to their full potential" He breathed. If he was good at healing people, less people would be in danger during his heists since he could secretly heal them.

"That does make sense, though maybe you should try practicing on dead or damaged plants first, just to be on the safe side" The blond was curious to know if the magician's magic would work on life forms that contained no blood.

Kaito grimaced "Yeah... I'm lucky I guess that my magic went right when I unconsciously used it to help me and Kudo. I could have healed something wrong like if one of us had a broken bone and it just healed like that instead of being set in place first" He shifted his wings, suddenly grateful that Saguru had taken care of them properly when he'd damaged them.

' _I almost did something that I would've really regretted_...'

"True, any bones healed wrong would have had to be re-broken and set" Saguru admitted, broken bones hurt enough the first time, nobody wanted a repeat.

"Thanks for caring for me despite my stupidity" Kaito smirked, fanning his wings out for demonstration. "It really would have sucked to have to fix my wings after Akako gave me the ability to hide them with a glamour"

Saguru scoffed "I believe that despite your high intelligence, that you will often be doing something stupidly" He finished with a smirk.

* * *

"That movie was really fun Akako-Chan! Aoko really enjoyed it!" Aoko smiled as they walked up to her house, they'd watched a nice movie involving a bunch of talking animals. "Are you sure Aoko doesn't have to pay you back?"

' _Aoko feels a little guilty that Akako-Chan spent so much money, theatre food is overpriced_...'

Akako gave her a smile "Its fine Aoko-Chan, I have a lot of money. It's nice to spend it on others sometimes"

' _Akako-Chan is so nice, Bakaito is an idiot for avoiding her_!'

"Aoko will still pay you back next time!" Aoko promised.

"Oh? There would be a next time?" Akako replied with a small smirk "I will be looking forward to it then" She quickly gave Aoko a short kiss on the cheek, not wanting to startle her but still wanting to state her intentions. "Today was a nice date" She breathed before walking away, smirking at how her cheeks flushed red.

' _Date?_!?'

Aoko quickly entered her house, her face burning.

' _Aoko was on a date with Akako-Chan?! But Akako-Chan is so popular and pretty_!'

She frowned, a little unsure.

' _But Aoko is still hurting over Kaito_...'

She'd had fun hanging out with Akako, it had been refreshing compared to when she'd dragged Kaito around.

' _Aoko needs to talk to Akako-Chan_...'


	52. Chapter 52

When Saguru woke up he felt energized, like a faint hum of energy was buzzing beneath his skin. The sensation was mainly located on his hands. Out of curiosity he removed the bandages to see that his hands were completely healed.

' _I guess Kaito's magic has been restored_ '

The blond covered a yawn with a hand before slipping out of his bed and changing into dark brown slacks and a tan button up shirt.

When he reached the living room, he was pleased to see Kaito working on a gem that looked very similar to the Shining Star. Kaito had his sight back.

"I take it the end product will be identical to the original?" Saguru inquired, crouching down next to the brunette to get a better look. The white diamond seemed to be real, but since it was supposed to be a really good replica he wasn't sure. "Is the actual gem real?" Saguru asked, knowing that Kaito's family wasn't rich enough to just toss away money for a diamond.

Indigos blinked before Kaito put down the mini diamond cutting blade, giving Saguru a smirk. "Of course it's real!" When the blond opened his mouth Kaito swiftly countered the expected accusation "And no, the gem wasn't stolen. It was a completely legal gift from Kudo's parents"

"Why would they give you a diamond?" The blond was curious, the gem was by no means cheap.

' _I know that the Kudo family is rich... But it still doesn't make sense_ '

Kaito shrugged his shoulders, a mischievous grin present. "Yukiko-Neesan said that her collection was getting too big so she wanted to get rid of her out of date jewelry to make room for new additions"

"Yukiko-Neesan? Isn't Kudo-Kun's mother too old to be called that?" Kaito shook his head T his friend's naive words.

"Yukiko-Neesan is scary when called old, I'd advise you to not make that mistake again" Kaito snickered while he internally grimaced at the memory of the cold glare he'd received from Shinichi's mother.

* * *

"Dear what's wrong?" Yusaku asked as he glanced up from his newspaper. His wife had a scathing glare as she looked into the table.

"Oh nothing, I just had the sudden urge to smack someone for some reason..." Yukiko replied, giving Yusaku a sweet smile.

* * *

' _I've finally gotten rid of Hattori, but Kuroba isn't even around'_

Shinichi had checked the magician's house, only to find that it hadn't been occupied for at least a few days. The lack of evidence pointing towards a struggle set him at ease. It would be near impossible for the magician to be captured without a struggle within his own house. With a sigh he headed towards Saguru's house, figuring that Kaito was most likely staying with the British detective if he wasn't staying in his own home.

' _I'm really curious to see if they're actually getting along well_ '

* * *

"Ah Kudo is at the door" At Saguru's raised brow Kaito flashed a grin. "Dove cams, my false eye does more than just look pretty, it sometimes sends visual input signals to my brain" Kaito replied, not bothering to mention that it was sometimes disorienting to have split vision sprung upon him. Whenever he's expecting input he usually closed his real eye.

 _'I could always make it so that I can see perfectly with my eye... but then it'd always be working and eventually overheat and burn me_...'

There was only so much Kaito could add to the eye and still keep it looking completely real by having it react to stimuli.

"I will go let Kudo-Kun in" The blond stated as he got up from his chair, Kaito flashed a smile as he sprawled out onto the couch, splaying his wings to their full wingspan. He'd been expecting Shinichi to visit sooner or later, the sleuth wasn't one to let his questions go unanswered for long.

"Oh wow..." Shinichi breathed in awe as his azure gaze looked over Kaito's sleek wings. Sure Shinichi had already seen Kaito's wings, but seeing them when his vision wasn't obscured by smoke was another thing. Kaito inwardly preened at his biggest rival's awed expression, call him a narcissist or whatever but he adored making his detectives dumbstruck. He knew he looked damn good with his luxurious feather coated wings and wasn't afraid to admit it to himself.

"Yes you can touch them Meitantei" Kaito snickered "But only the tips of the feathers" He added swiftly, not wanting to reveal his new weakness. He trusted him, but his pride wouldn't allow the admission.

Shinichi blushed in embarrassment at how easily Kaito had read him. He couldn't help it, he'd grown a soft spot for animals from his time spent with the detective boys and he really wanted to feel how soft the wings were. "I'm sorry..." The sleuth apologized as he gently ran his fingers along the tips of Kaito's wings before pulling back. They were just as soft as he'd imagined they'd be.

' _His time as Conan has really done him some good. The original Kudo Shinichi would have been too proud to accept the offer_ '

"It's fine, I know that if were the other way around I'd be hard pressed to touch you wings" Kaito smirked as he sat up, tucking his wings neatly behind his back. "Plus Saguru already had his fill of touching me"

"Kaito!" Saguru spluttered "Don't say things in a way that could lead to misunderstandings!" He turned towards Shinichi "I'm terribly sorry for his behaviour"

' _He's so shy! It's almost adorable! If only I had a camera for blackmail_...'

Shinichi waved his hand "It's fine, I'm used to Kuroba's insufferable ways" Azure eyes took in the magician's full appearance now that the wings weren't distracting him "I'm glad that you look much better, and thank you for saving me" He replied honestly, he wouldn't know what to do if the magician suddenly disappeared from his life.

Kaito shrugged "I don't really remember anything from our capture" Azure eyes narrowed with concern.

"You were really out of it..." Shinichi pursed his lips as he remembered how off the magician had been "But you're fine now right?"


	53. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written July 25 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad October 19 2019  
> Posted here January 9 2020

Kaito gave another shrug "Yeah, was mostly blind for a few days but my vision and magic returned sometime last night or early this morning" Shinichi grimaced at the information.

 _'If that had happened to me... I wouldn't have been able to go about as usual... Especially if murders continued to happen around me_...'

"Knowing you, you were probably able to still cause trouble without your full sight" Shinichi smirked.

"Of course he was" Saguru scoffed "I think that it's impossible for Kaito to go too long without causing at least some sort of mischief" He finished.

Kaito gave his best innocent smile, making both detectives roll their eyes. "I'm not always up to something you know" If they hadn't known him, they would have fallen for the magician's act.

"Kuroba, any outwards displays of innocence coming from you will always raise the suspicion of those who know you" Shinichi smirked, crouching down to pick up a discarded feather and examined it.

' _Maybe I'll have Haibara run some tests on it, I obviously won't tell her where I got the sample, but I'm curious to know how the DNA would show up_ '

Indigos narrowed accusingly at Shinichi, the magician was completely familiar with the other's contemplating look. He especially didn't like the possible insinuations it meant when it was directed at one of his feathers. "Oi! You better not give that to your creepy scientist friend!" Kaito scowled, pointing at his feather. Kaito wanted to keep that creepy girl away from him at all costs. The magician wasn't a semi-suicidal detective who loved to take potentially lethal medications based on a chance of things going right.

Saguru gave Shinichi a nervous look, the other was a detective like him after all, and detectives loved finding answers. Azure eyes studied the other two for a few moments before Shinichi let out a defeated sigh. "Fine, I won't have her do some tests on it" He breathed, placing the feather into a vase filled with roses in a show of surrender. It looked surprisingly good in contrast to the red. "I wouldn't have given your identity away to her, but you should do some tests on the feathers, it would be dangerous if they came up as human" Shinichi added the last bit as an afterthought.

' _I just wanted to know if the feather came up as human or bird, or maybe even both_ '

* * *

' _On that night I found Kaito thanks to one of his feathers... What if he'd shed more that night and the wrong person got their hands on one_...'

The possibilities made the blond feel a little uneasy. "Thank you Kudo-Kun, I hadn't thought of that" He admitted.

"Ick, more tests!" Kaito whined, falling backwards into the couch so that he was sprawled across it. "I'm sick of tests!" His wings stuttered momentarily before spreading out. He'd already had enough with Saguru and at the hospital.

"Don't worry, these ones will just include you're discarded feathers" Saguru gave the magician a sly smirk "Unless you're offering to allow me to pluck some of your feathers?" He teased, already knowing the answer. Azure eyes studied the two curiously, a sharp gleam present.

' _I would never actually do that to him, forced feather removal is thought to be painful or at the very least stressful_ '

The blond didn't know for sure, mainly because he couldn't believe everything on the internet and had no desire to test the theory.

"You do that and I'll hit you with my wings!" Kaito growled, wrapping his wings around himself defensively. "I'm pretty sure I can muster enough force with them to knock you out" He'd grown attached to them in the short time he'd been able to see them without either fear or panic hitting him. He didn't want his feathers to be plucked.

"I promise to only snatch already loose feathers that were bound to fall anyways" Saguru soothed, a little startled by Kaito's threat. It wasn't like him to threaten with physical violence.

Kaito's shoulders relaxed as he unwrapped himself. "Good, you better keep your word" The magician breathed, a little embarrassed at his overreaction.

"I've learned everything that I wanted" Shinichi stated, he gave a small smile "If you ever need any help, you know how to contact me" He sent the magician a glance before bowing to excuse himself. He was content to know that Kaito was okay and a little intrigued with their interactions.

"It was nice to see you again Kudo-Kun" Saguru got up to lead the other out.

* * *

"You're too polite" Kaito snickered when the blond returned "Kudo is a big boy now, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have gotten lost" He continued, indigos gleaming with amusement.

Saguru raised a brow at the odd phrasing but didn't question it since Kaito was prone to being odd "It's part of how I was raised, it's only natural to be courteous towards guests" He paused, gaze narrowing at the magician "Well all guests except for ones that moonlight as international criminals" He teased.

' _We've been sort of enemies? Or maybe friendly rivals for so long that it would feel weird if I suddenly treated Kaito like I would a normal guest_ '

Kaito stuck out his tongue in response "Let's go into some deep woods tomorrow for flight practice, I can see so there won't be too much of a problem"

Saguru nodded in agreement "That sounds ideal, the sooner you can fly, the less likely you are to do stupid stunts on your own and crash" He paused in thought for a few moments before continuing "I'll do some DNA tests on your discarded feathers tonight first, hopefully the results will show that it would be fine to just leave and loose feathers on the ground instead of collecting them all" He finished.

' _It would be a pain to collect every single feather he sheds in the woods... Kaito does seem to lose them a little more frequently than most birds_ '


	54. Chapter 54

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written August 9 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad October 21 2019  
> Posted here January 10 2020

Kaito grinned at the feeling of fresh mountain air going through his lungs, the mountain air felt much more pure than that of the city's air. Thankfully his feathers tested as one hundred percent non-human, which meant that he didn't have to worry about not collecting every single lost feather.

A little part of him felt somewhat uneasy that his feathers didn't actually register as anything remotely human, but the magician easily nudged that thought away, tucking it into a back corner of his mind. If he didn't think about it, it was okay.

Due to Saguru's paranoia, the two had forgone going into the woods and had instead travelled a few hours to Kyoto before heading towards Mount Kurama. Since Saguru had forced Kaito to travel so far, the magician in turn had chosen Mount Kurama in retaliation since its lore stated that it was the home of Sōjōbō the king of the Tengu. That way, if someone caught a glimpse of him, he could potentially cause havoc by pretending to be a Tengu.

"I can't believe you actually chose Mount Kurama" The blond sighed in exasperation, leave it to the crazy magician to choose a mountain that's lore focused on a Tengu.

Kaito stuck out his tongue before hopping up into a tree branch. "But it's been so long since I've messed with people" He snickered.

' _Plus since there's probably false Tengu sightings around here all of the time, people would be less likely to investigate if I was spotted flying around_ '

"So I'm not considered a person? How rude of you" Saguru scoffed, they'd gone deep into the mountains, far away from any tourist trails to prevent detection.

Kaito rolled his eyes, falling back and catching himself with his legs to that he was hanging upside down from the branch. "I was talking about people I don't know" He flashed a grin "Messing with friends doesn't count, it's a given" The magician snickered as he began to swing back and forth.

' _I can use more mean pranks on strangers than I can on friends_ '

Golden eyes narrowed slightly at the magician, he was tempted to tell Kaito to stop swinging like that before he potentially cracked his head open. He decided not to however since he was pretty sure that Kaito was smart enough to judge a branch's strength properly before swinging on it. "It's almost sundown, we should find a good place to set up camp" He breathed, glancing up at the weakening sunlight, they'd have an hour or two at best.

"There's a river a few hundred feet to the left" Kaito replied, pointing towards the left, he then let himself fall down, skilfully flipping himself upright so that he ended up landing in a neat crouch.

The blond nodded in acceptance, the forecast was said to be completely clear and when he'd checked the satellite radar it had shown the same results. "Sure, even if there is a freak rainfall, I'm pretty confident that we'd wake up before the river flooded" Saguru smirked, confident that Kaito would wake up. The magician was a phantom thief after all.

"More like I'd already be awake practising flying" Kaito smiled as he picked up the bag he'd previously discarded, they hadn't brought much besides emergency matches, bottles, some knives, a thin tent and blankets, mosquito repellent, a small pot, some water purifier, and medical supplies. Neither had wanted to be dragged down by heavy packs, and both were confident in their ability to find food. Even if they had a bad time hunting, both were used to missing meals due to either heist planning or cases.

Saguru frowned "It's going to be pitch black out from the lack of artificial light emissions around us"

Kaito flashed a grin as he gave the blond a firm pat on the shoulder before heading towards where he'd indicated. "It's fine, I have great night vision, my eyes flash green like a cat's in the dark"

_'It's really useful during my heists_ '

The detective raised a brow as he hurried to catch up "Is that new?" He inquired, cat eyes only flashed green due to their night vision, something that humans lacked, thus leading to the occasional 'Red eyes' in photos.

"Nope, I've always been like that, dad had it too. I usually wear thin contacts to hide the gleam, though I remove the contact on the eye that's covered by my monocle when I'm Kid" Kaito paused for a moment before continuing "It's a pain wearing contacts, but a lot of people would be interested in my night vision and would want to do some tests on the name of 'Furthering humanity as a whole'" He finished.

"Maybe you already had some magic in your blood before the gem?" The blond offered, knowing that it could be possible, they did know a witch after all.

The magician shrugged "Maybe, but it doesn't really matter now I guess" Indigo met gold "My magic tricks have always been a result of my hard work, I've never cheated besides using my better eyesight to my own advantage"

' _And if dad knew real magic, I'm pretty sure he would have never cheated as well_ '

"I've already figured that" Saguru scoffed "You're much too proud to cheat on your tricks"

"Ah! The rivers in sight!" The magician grinned as he took off towards the water, eager to set up their camp.

* * *

"I take it that you'd hit me if I tried to go catch some fish?" The blond inquired once they'd finished setting up their tent and digging a small pit, lining it with stones for a future fire.

Indigos narrowed at the detective "No, I'd ditch you, stay in the mountains for the rest of the summer flying around, then avoid you when school starts back up again"

' _I refuse to have the disgusting smell of cooking finny things anywhere near me_ '

Saguru let out a short laugh "Very well, I'll search for some animals while you go find some fruit and whatever else that's edible in your opinion" He replied, suddenly realizing that he should have packed protein and nutrient supplements for the vegetarian magician.


	55. Chapter 55

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written August 9 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad October 26 2019  
> Posted here January 17 2020

"I'll look for some meat as well" At Saguru's raised brow the magician shrugged. "Out here I know that the animal will be killed as humanely as possible... I'm a vegetarian mainly because I don't want to support slaughter houses" He blushed "Meat is very tasty, but frequently inspecting places is time consuming, also buying my own animals to eat is expensive and hard" He added.

' _It makes sense, Kaito isn't the kind of person to completely deny a food source without reason_ '

Saguru smiled "Very well, that actually puts me more at ease since I know you won't be missing as many vital proteins and nutrients as you would be if you'd completely shunned meat" He replied.

"I'll mainly focus on finding plants though since it would be a waste if we both caught enough meat to feed us both, but if I see an easy catch I'll nab it" Kaito replied before running off into the woods.

' _I'll probably be the one cleaning the animals since I doubt Kaito would be as fine with it as I am_ '

The detective couldn't really easily visualize Kaito stripping the meat from the animals, the magician was much too soft for that when Saguru himself was fully capable of doing it all alone.

* * *

"It's been so long since I've eaten meat!" Kaito gushed as he munched on his skewer, which was surprisingly filled mostly with meat chunks. As he'd thought, Saguru had cleaned and separated the rabbit and squirrel while Kaito started on the fire. The magician had cooked everything in return.

He'd caught the rabbit and had collected some berries and clovers while Kaito had caught the squirrel and had collected some chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms, grass, and berries.

"Maybe I could call up some of my acquaintances to occasionally send me some of their meat? I know that they care for their animals" The blond suggested, remembering that he'd helped out some small farmers during a few of his cases.

' _It's quite handy that I make plenty of acquaintances from solving cases_ '

"Oh! That would be nice... I miss bacon" Kaito smiled as he leaned over to rotate the skewered shiitake mushrooms, they were being steamed by the boiling pot which contained the grass, clovers, and chestnuts.

"Does boiled grass even taste good?" Saguru inquired, he'd heard of people eating grass, but he'd never actually willing done so. The only grass he'd ever eaten was when someone had shoved it in his mouth after the lawn had been cut. Children could be really mean at times.

Kaito smiled "I'm not sure about boiled grass, but grass soup can taste good if done right" He leaned in to sniff the planty concoction "I don't have spices on me, but at least it's highly unlikely to have any pesticide on it. Plus I've thrown in the berries so at the very least it'll be interesting"

 _'I don't think berries are supposed to be boiled... But I guess since it's soup, it's okay if they disintegrate_?'

Golden eyes narrowed in suspicion "You better not end up poisoning us"

The magician smirked "If that was my intention I would have already done so with the meat" He shrugged, letting his wings take form "I guess we're both going to die of food poisoning" Kaito snickered, letting his wings fan out across the ground. Lately he'd realized that he actually felt more comfortable when his wings weren't hidden, when they were hidden, he had the feeling that something was missing.

* * *

"It tastes... Interesting..." The blond stated as he squinted at his bowl of soup, the magician rolled his eyes.

"Liar" Kaito grinned "It tastes horrible... I guess I really do need the proper spices to make grass not taste like" He paused, scratching his cheek sheepishly "Well like grass" He finished with a small snicker.

' _At least the meat and shiitake mushrooms were very filling_ '

"It was interesting to try at the very least" Saguru offered, as he began to clear up their cooking area, they'd actually cooked their food about 300 meters away from their actual sleeping site. They didn't want any unexpected visitors during the night.

"Yup, trespassing, hunting illegally, and collecting natural resources without permission is definitely interesting" Kaito stated, Saguru just ignored him. It wasn't like they could have Kaito practice flying in an area where people were allowed to traverse, the chance of him being spotted would then be exponentially higher.

' _If it's to keep Kaito safe, it's okay to break some laws as long as we're not hurting anybody_...'

"Oh sod off!" Saguru huffed when Kaito sprinkled some grass over his head.

"Sure!" Kaito gave a full on Kid grin "You can clean up, I'll just go hop off that cliff over there" He laughed before jogging over towards the 50 foot drop, he'd picked this area because it had both a river and a steep cliff.

"Wait!" The blond scrambled to his feet, throwing water over the fire before running after Kaito "At least learn how to fly before you go about throwing yourself off of cliffs!" He hollered.

 _'Is he utterly insane?!... Wait... Of course he is_!'

Kaito stopped at the edge "But this way seems more fun" He smiled, peeking over the edge to look at the really tall trees, absently wondering how old they had to be to reach those heights. He turned around to face the blond "Plus this is how I learned how to use my hang glider"

"You jumped off a cliff?!?" Saguru gasped in horror.

Kaito shook his head "No, I jumped off of a 70 floor story building with the police chasing after me" He replied with a smirk, neglecting to mention how he'd almost become a red smear on the ground, it was an unnecessary detail that would only hurt his case.

' _How has he even survived this long_?!?'

"Kaito, just please don't jump off that cliff, can't you go find a less lethal cliff to jump off of?" Saguru sighed.

Indigos narrowed in thought for a few moments before the brunette shook his head. "Nah! This way is more fun!" He snickered before hopping off of the cliff, Saguru had lunged for him but he'd been too slow.


	56. Chapter 56

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written August 11 2019  
> Posted on WATTPAD October 28 2019  
> Posted here January 23 2020

Kaito felt a little bad when he'd distantly heard Saguru call his name after he'd jumped but pushed that feeling to the side. He was falling at an accelerating pace and after another half second he began to flap his wings in an attempt to fly.

 _'Ah shit._..'

After a few more moments of trying and failing to fly, the magician was starting to feel a little bit of panic seep into him.

' _Dammit... Why isn't it working_?!?'

He bit his lip slightly at the sight of the swiftly approaching ground, he needed to fly soon if he was to survive the fall.

' _Ah! I know_!'

Kaito immediately stopping flapping his wings and instead spread out to their full wingspan, wincing when he was suddenly yanked up by the wind currents and placed into a less lethal glide.

' _Ow... I guess my hang glider absorbs more impact than I'd thought_...'

The magician immediately began moving his wings to mimic the angles he'd normally have his hang glider at and grinned when it seemed to work. He was gliding safely with proper control over his movements.

' _I guess jumping from a higher place was exactly what I needed, if the fall had been shorter I'd have fallen and injured myself_ '

After a few more moments of gliding, the brunette angled himself slightly upwards and flapped his wings a few times experimentally like he'd seen his doves do. He was rewarded with some ascension in height and repeated the actions a few more times before closing his eyes.

The wind flowing through each individual feather felt amazing, almost as if they were being given a massage. He let out a content hum as he just allowed himself to glide, occasionally flapping his wings to prevent himself from flying too low.

' _I could do this for hours_...'

* * *

' _It's been hours... where is he_?'

The blond once again peered over the edge, despite being unable to see the bottom of the cliff. He'd lost sight of Kaito shortly after the jump and couldn't help wondering if the other had managed to learn how to fly in time before hitting the ground.

' _When the sun comes up I'd be able to see the ground... but what if he is at the bottom of the cliff_?'

Saguru let out a tired sigh as he shuffled over towards a tree and leaned against it, he felt nauseous at the thought of discovering his friend's broken body at sunrise. He closed his eyes from emotional fatigue.

"Why do you look so sad?" Golden eyes snapped open to see Kaito standing in front of him looking perfectly fine and uninjured.

' _He's alive_!'

"You idiot!" Saguru hissed angrily as he jumped to his feet and punched Kaito in the nose, knocking the unprepared magician to the ground. "I thought you'd died!" The blond growled before crouching down to hug Kaito.

* * *

Kaito was stunned for a few moments before smiling sadly and returning the hug, he ignored the throbbing pain in his nose and the blood that he could feel steadily flowing.

' _I really should have thought my actions out better... I just got sort of carried away_...'

"I'm sorry, I guess I really am an idiot" The magician laughed weakly, feeling guilty that he'd caused Saguru to worry so much about him. The other's grip was actually rather painful.

' _He's trembling... I really shouldn't have forgotten about him_ '

"Don't you dare do anything like that ever again!" The blond huffed as he moved away from Kaito, his voice stern despite the obvious relief in his eyes.

"I can't promise since it seems that I'm prone to idiotic decisions" Kaito replied as he stood up and dusted himself off, he flashed a small smile. "But I'll do my best to limit my idiocy" He added softly as he pinched his nose and looked up, inwardly grimacing as the blood flowed down his throat instead.

' _Damn, Saguru really packs a punch_...'

Golden eyes suddenly flickered towards the magician's nose "Are you okay?" He asked softly as he pulled out a handkerchief and offered it to the brunette.

Kaito took the offered fabric and wiped his nose before covering it and looking down. He didn't want blood coming out of his mouth as he spoke "Yeah, it'll stop eventually" He replied, causing Saguru to feel more guilty at the sight of the magician's normally white teeth being covered in blood.

' _Gah, this is so nasty! But it's better to swallow my own blood than to get covered in it instead_ '

"I'm sorry... I really shouldn't have hit you" Saguru breathed "Wait can't you just heal your nose?" He inquired, remembering that the teen had healed the burns on his hands.

Kaito's gaze narrowed momentarily before closing, his hand pinching his nose became enshrouded with a soft white glow. He then blew his nose into the tissue and levelled his head to its normal position. "Ah thanks, I forgot" He replied, running his tongue across his teeth to clear the blood away. "And I really did deserve that punch, I was really insensitive towards you" When Saguru opened his mouth to counter, the brunette shook his head and held up a finger to silence him "No it's true, I know you well enough that I should have  _known_  that you would have been worrying about me the whole time. Instead I just thought about how nice flying felt. I should have checked up on you before leisurely flying" He finished, wiping away the remains of the blood from his face.

Saguru gave a weak smile "I'd thought that you'd died and I'd have to see your broken body at the bottom of the cliff" The magician winced, he knew enough about the human body and physics to know that it would have been a messy find.

' _Yeah... I really messed up_...'

"I'm sorry, but on a lighter note, I've become quite good at flying" Kaito grinned, not wanting the gloomy atmosphere to continue.

"That's a relief, now we can get some rest before the sun comes up, I think that we still have a few hours before then" The blond suggested.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is now officially pre-written~


	57. Chapter 57

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written August 13 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad November 1 2019  
> Posted here January 23 2020

When Saguru awoke, he immediately noted that the magician was nowhere in sight, instead he'd been left all alone within the tent. He let out a soft yawn as he rolled over with the intention of going back to sleep. He figured that Kaito was out doing something and looking for the sneaky teen would have been a waste of time.

' _It's a wonder how that idiot can function on so little sleep_...'

A sudden crash snapped away his lingering drowsiness. Alarmed, he quickly crawled out of the tent, standing up once he had room.

"It seemed like a good time to drop in?" Kaito laughed from his position in the overhanging tree beside the tent. Saguru covered his mouth to hold in a chuckle, the magician was hanging upside down all tangled within the maple tree's branches.

"How did you even manage that?" The blond snickered, figuring that the other was okay based on his attitude.

' _I'd always thought that Kaito did everything perfectly or at least near perfection. But after spending time with him I've realized that it had only seemed that way since he wasn't showing his true self_ '

"I was practising some sharper maneuvers by weaving through the trees" The magician replied, making no move to correct his position. "I figured that the more dexterity I had while flying, the better" Kaito smirked, Saguru nodded at the information, silently agreeing with the logic.

Golden eyes glanced over Kaito once more "Your wings look sort of stuck, do you require some assistance?" He inquired, noting that if not for the wings, Kaito would have easily slipped to the ground.

A small embarrassed blush tinted Kaito's cheeks "That would be nice... I could get down on my own but my wings make it take longer and I seem to be unable to retract them when they're restrained" The magician admitted, Saguru smirked.

' _So he is stuck but won't actually admit it_ '

"Okay I'll untangle your wings and you can do the rest" Saguru replied as he fetched a medium log to stand on. Thankfully Kaito wasn't stuck too high up and he could reach the other's wings when standing on the log.

"Thanks" Kaito grinned, clutching onto a sturdy branch above him so that he wouldn't fall onto Saguru once he'd been freed.

The blond frowned when he got a better look at the tangle, inwardly grimacing when he'd realized that Kaito would have had to bend his back in the weird ways that he could in order to get down. The problem was that if he'd done so, he'd have damaged his wings, and at the very least become injured before healing himself.

"Were you flying upside down or something?" Saguru scoffed as he began breaking the small branches tangled between the feathers.

' _It's the only explanation for how he landed so awkwardly_ '

"Yeah, it was working out fine at first, but then I got distracted and fell out of the current I was riding" Kaito sighed, tensing slightly when one of the branches scraped his wings.

The blond ignored how the magician tensed and continued to break the branches. "That's understandable..." He paused for a few moments before continuing. "Do things like this always happen when your trying out something new?" He inquired, curious to know how many details he'd actually missed before they became friends.

Kaito glanced back at him from the corner of his eyes "Yeah, I mess up all of the time when trying out new tricks, I just keep practising them until they're perfect before I show them to anybody" He gave a wide grin "A magician can't improve if they're too afraid to mess up during practice, they'd subconsciously limit themselves to prevent any possible failures" Kaito finished.

"That actually makes a lot of sense... A lot of the things I've seen you do are completely crazy and dangerous. They often seemed almost impossible to get right on the first try" Saguru breathed before frowning slightly. "But then that means you've gotten hurt a lot without anybody noticing..."

' _It's bad enough that I neglected to notice a lot of his heist injuries, but for me to not notice his injuries from practising tricks as well_...'

"Stupid detective" Kaito chided "I did my absolute best to keep my injuries under wraps. If they'd been spotted easily, it'd been a failure on my part" He scoffed. "But since you already know about Kid, and about my practising... I guess I'll call you for help whenever I need it..."

The blond raised a brow "So there's actually been times when you've needed help but didn't call for any?..." He asked as he snapped an especially persistent branch.

The brunette closed his eyes, remembering how he'd once accidentally skewered himself in the side. "Yeah... There were some close calls because my assistant had been in another city and my mom was never around. But that won't happen anymore since I've got you to help me" He grimaced when a sharp branch shifted uncomfortably between his feathers. "Since Kudo returned it's been a little better since Beika isn't too far so he'd be able to patch me up in time. Plus his medical knowledge is quite useful. So even if you're too busy I've usually got that option"

' _He does use a lot of dangerous equipment_...'

Saguru smiled softly at the trust before snapping the last branch that's been close to stabbing through Kaito's wings. "I'm glad that you've at least had Kudo-Kun, though I wonder, how could he help you if you're in your house and your door is locked?"

Kaito let go of the branch, landing onto the ground gracefully. "I gave Kudo a key since he only usually comes around when I'm injured or there's an emergency" He paused for a few moments "I should actually give you a key too just in case..." Indigos narrowed as a sly grin crossed over the magician's face. "Though... Maybe that's not needed since you apparently have no problem breaking into my house" He teased.

The blond spluttered in embarrassment "It wasn't my idea! Baaya insisted that I do it!"


	58. Chapter 58

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written August 16 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad November 2 2019  
> Posted here January 24 2020

Kaito gave a wide grin "Whatever you say..." He paused "First you persistently stalked me... Then you broke into my house..." The magician forced his grin to disappear and replaced it with a serious face. "Should I be worried?" He inquired.

Saguru's face went even redder with embarrassment. "Says the one who stalks people with dove cams and literally trespasses everywhere!" The blond defended.

' _It's so fun to mess with him_ '

The magician rolled his eyes, leaning back against the tree before flashing a smug smirk. "I am a phantom thief, my motives are already known. Yours on the other hand..." He squinted at the other with suspicion.

"I-I'm a detective, I was looking for proof of your crimes when I stalked you" Saguru huffed, crossing his arms across his chest. "In addition to that, I only broke in because I was both worried and encouraged to by Baaya" He finished.

Indigos softened slightly "I guess you're off the hook then" Kaito snickered, tossing a handful of leaves at the other.

' _If he hadn't broke in, I wonder how things would have turned out_...'

Saguru brushed away the leaves, deciding not to childishly retaliate. "Should we stay here for another day or head back?" He looked up towards the sky, dark clouds were rolling in. Mountain weather really could be unpredictable. "You are mostly good at flying now right?" He added, it was the main reason for their trip after all.

Kaito glanced up at the sky, he really didn't like the look of the clouds and even though flying in the rain would give him some good practice, he had a feeling that out here the weather would be too much for him. He really didn't feel like being struck by lightning or getting blown to the other side of the mountain. "I don't really want to head back... Plus it looks like the rain would start before we got back..." He grinned "Since we'll already most likely be soaked and cold, why not head to the Kurama Onsen?"

Saguru nodded "We might as well, I see no need in catching a cold" He'd never been to an onsen before and he was quite intrigued.

"Great!" Kaito clasped both of his hands together "I haven't been to an onsen with others in years! I can't go with Aoko since she's a girl and Nakamori-Keibu would become suspicious about my scars. It's no fun to go alone" Kaito immediately pulled out his phone to book their room. Saguru inwardly winced, realizing that being Kaitou Kid had affected Kaito's options more than he'd thought.

After a few minutes Kaito put away his phone and turned towards him with a bright grin. "I've booked all of the rooms so that we can use the onsen without weird questions about my scars!"

' _I can't wait to soak in the onsen, plus I can test my wings in the water as well_ '

The blond shook his head at the magician's craziness "I'll pay since I'm pretty sure it'd leave a smaller dent in my wallet than it would in yours" He offered, remembering how Kaito had whined about Aoko spending his money on expensive food.

Kaito blinked in surprise before nodding "If you want, sure" He wasn't opposed to accepting that sort of offer from a friend who could afford it.

* * *

"Kaito slow down! Your going to slip!" Saguru scolded, rain was pelting down and the ground was soft and easily shifted under their feet since they hadn't taken a path.

' _Why does he insist on doing everything recklessly?!?_ '

"Nah! I know what I'm doing!" The magician laughed, purposely skidding a few feet. His shoes were now ruined and he seriously doubted that he'd be able to salvage them. He was so glad he'd chosen to wear some scruffy clothes instead of his favorites.

"You still might sli— Ack!" Kaito paused to look back at the blond. Saguru had slipped and fallen face first into an especially muddy mound. Kaito let out a small snicker before bursting out in laughter, leaning against a tree as he clutched his stomach.

' _If he thinks it so funny... Then I'll show him_!'

Saguru scrambled to his feet and made his way over to the other, slipping a few times in the process but thankfully he didn't fall again. "Bugger off!" He laughed, shoving the unbalanced teen into a mud puddle. He wiped some mud off of his own face.

"Gah!" Since he'd been caught mid-laughter, Kaito had ended up with a mouthful of the dirty water and accidentally swallowing some. The magician flailed for a moment before hopping to his feet, spitting out in disgust as he flicked out his wings to unlodge some of the mud from his feathers. Indigos met gold and narrowed before Kaito playfully tackled Saguru into a muddy moss covered dip. "Why don't you eat some dirt as well!" He snickered, grabbing a handful of mud and throwing it at Saguru's face.

' _He may be faster, but I'm stronger_!'

Saguru grabbed Kaito's shoulders and flipped their positions so that he was straddling the Kaito instead. He pinned down his legs with his own and used both hands to dump an armload of mud onto Kaito. The magician tried to both shove and buck him off a few times before giving up. Indigos glared for a few moments before both teens burst out in laughter. "I've never done anything so childish before..." Saguru laughed as he shifted off of the other before holding out his hand to help him up.

Kaito grinned, accepting the help, snickering when there was an audible squelch between their hands. "I really wasn't expecting that" He admitted "You seriously caught me off guard, it was fun though" He really didn't like the taste of dirt still lingering in his mouth, but it was worth it to see the other laugh. Saguru really needed to laugh honestly some more.

"Surprisingly, it was also quite fun to me as well" The blond replied, a little embarrassed at the childish act he'd taken part in.


	59. Chapter 559

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written August 17 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad November 4 2019  
> Posted here January 24 2020

A little before they reached the Kurama Onsen the two decided to stand out in the rain without cover for a good while to remove as much of the mud off of them as they could. Though Kaito's wings were proving to be a bit of a problem.

"Will it be okay for them to go away like that?" Saguru inquired as he used his fingers to help comb out some of the mud.

Kaito gave a little shrug "I'm really not sure, and I'd rather not mess anything up" He paused in thought "Maybe I could tuck them close to my back and then huddle one of the blankets around me as if I'm cold?"

' _The mud is really starting to irritate my wings, it's getting a little itchy_ '

The blond nodded in agreement with the suggestion, he'd rather not risk messing with magic he didn't completely understand. "That seems like an acceptable option, we can wash off properly in the indoor bathing area before entering the actual onsen" He didn't think that the owners would appreciate their onsen being filled with mud.

"That's a good plan" Kaito grinned, flicking his wings a bit in an attempt to shake off any loose mud. "Though I may need your help with cleaning my feathers" the magician replied as he tucked his wings and pulled out one of the blankets and wrapped it around his shoulders like a cloak.

* * *

"Welcome!" A brown eyed woman wearing a light blue yukita greeted as they walked through the door. Her long black hair was tucked into a ponytail.

"Ah we're here for our reservation" Saguru replied as he handed her their IDs as identification.

She smiled warmly and gave them back after checking them. "Your rooms are ready, my name is Miyako Kyuumi and please contact me if you have any problems" she replied.

They nodded their thanks and hurried over towards their room to drop off their belongings.

* * *

"It's really nice here" Kaito mused as he secured his towel around his waist, indigos scaling the walls for any sort of video surveillance. One never knew if some creep decided to leave a video camera in a public bathing area, so it was best to always check.

"Plus there's no video surveillance"

' _Video surveillance_?!'

Saguru gave a startled squeak and almost dropped his towel before hastily fastening it around his waist. "Wait, is that common in onsens?!?" He asked, appalled at the thought of someone watching him bathe without his knowledge.

Kaito snickered at the blond's horrified look. "Don't worry, I've already checked. Nobody is watching us" He soothed, Saguru's shoulder's lost most of their tension at his reassurance.

' _Knowing Kaito, the odds if there actually being cameras that he'd missed is near impossible_ '

The blond watched Kaito walk over towards a stool and sit on it, he copied and did the same on a nearby stool. He wasn't sure how onsens worked. "So we wash ourselves while sitting on the stool before entering?" He inquired, noting the tap, bucket, soap, and shampoo.

Kaito glanced over and grinned "Yup, that's exactly what we should do" He replied as he started lathering the soap.

' _This is odd, but Kaito seems to be acting normal, I guess it's because he grew up with it as a part of his culture_ '

Surprisingly, Saguru didn't feel as uncomfortable as he'd figured he would when he'd suddenly remembered what going to an onsen actually meant. He figured it was because the magician wasn't being a jerk like he often was at school and refrained from teasing him. Instead it was actually quite peaceful to just bathe in the steamy room. A sudden bucket of warm water going down his back snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Kaito smirking at him.

"You know it's not good to get lost in your thoughts in such a steamy room right?" Kaito asked, filling up the bucket once again before holding it over his head. Realizing what Kaito was doing, he closed his eyes before the warm water was dumped over his head, this time running over his face. "The steam can cause people to faint"

Saguru wipes the water from his face before noting that the magician was perfectly clean except for his wings that seemed to have a few missed spots. "I assume since we're both mostly clean that you require my help now?" He smiled, grateful that he'd been given a warning of sorts to close his eyes.

' _He did a surprisingly better job with his wings than I thought he would_ '

"Yup, I can't reach a few spots and this place lacks a mirror" He grinned as he took a seat next to the blond, turning away so that his back was facing him.

The blond grimaced when he spotted a jagged scar that ran across from the brunette's shoulder to his opposite hip, past the area hidden by the towel. "What happened here?" He inquired, gently touching the shoulder.

' _I can't believe I didn't notice this before when I'd discovered his wings_ '

Kaito frowned as he looked over his shoulder at what little of the scar he could see "Ah, a bad run in with Spider, he really got me good with his wires" He replied.

"I'm sorry" Saguru breathed as he lathered his hands with some shampoo before beginning to comb his fingers through some of the visible dirty patches. "I had hoped to have already caught him by now"

"It's fine, I healed fine. Thankfully the cut was surprisingly clean" He snickered "I just couldn't do any fancy flips to escape Aoko's wrath for a few weeks"

' _Of course that's the point he focuses on, I really pity her_ '

"When Nakamori-San starts dating Koizumi-san, I doubt that you'll be able to get away with those kinds of tricks" Saguru scolded.

"Ah, I've already decided not to flip her skirt anymore, especially since I've already officially labeled her as my sister" Kaito grinned, he'd think up better ways to mess with Aoko that wouldn't incite the witch's jealousy.


	60. Chapter 60

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written August 22 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad November 7 2019  
> Posted here January 25 2020

' _Since he seems relaxed, I guess now is a good time to tell him_ '

"Hey Saguru, I've got some really good news for you" The blond raised a curious brow at the somewhat random comment.

"And what sort of good news are you referring to?" He inquired, inwardly wincing when he had to tug a few times at a clot of dirt. He really doubted that it as felt nice to the other.

Kaito glanced back, flashing a bright smile "Dr.Kalos didn't betray you" The blond's fingers momentarily stilled "One of his lackeys spotted me on that night..." The brunette blushed, remembering how ridiculous his actions had been back then. "He told me that if his lackey hadn't seen me, he wouldn't have gone after me, no matter how much he'd have wanted to" Kaito finished, turning his head so that he was now facing forwards instead of looking back.

' _I could tell that Dr.Kalos wasn't lying, for such a creepy guy, he seems to keep his word_ '

Golden eyes narrowed sceptically "How do you know this? I thought that you didn't remember getting captured"

"I don't" The magician smirked "But I paid him a visit in jail to get my facts straight" Indigos winced at an especially hard tug on his feathers.

' _Ow... Okay that kind of hurt_...'

"Why would you visit him?!?" Saguru scowled, realizing that the other had most likely done so while his vision was still impaired "Do you even realize how dangerous that could have been?!?" He hissed. Kaito had no plausible reason to sneak into where Dr.Kalos had been held besides talking to the criminal. If he'd been caught doing so, unwanted questions would have been asked.

The magician snickered at his friend's obvious distressed worry "Don't worry, I wasn't seen and everybody there thinks he's crazy. Nobody would believe him" He paused "Plus I needed to know, if there was a chance things hadn't been as bad as you thought"

"What do you mean?" Saguru asked, Kaito grinned.

"Well I've noticed that you actually don't have many people around you, especially ones that you trust. I wanted to tell you that your trust in Dr.Kalos' grasp of patient confidentiality hadn't been misplaced" Kaito flicked away some suds from his shoulder. "Sure he was a crazy cultist, but at least your judgement of him was correct when it came to the medical field"

Saguru let out a sigh "What are you trying to tell me?"

"I'm trying to tell you that you can still trust your judgement" Kaito smirked "I don't want you doubting yourself just because one of the few people you trusted turned out to be crazy. He technically didn't betray you after all" The brunette replied, not wanting the blond's social circle to diminish due to Saguru always second guessing himself. He seemed just like the kind of person who would do so if it'd resulted in a friend getting hurt.

' _He needs more good people around him, he's too socially secluded right now_ '

Saguru pursed his lips, he sort of understood Kaito's point but he still didn't like the fact that he'd trusted a crazy person. "Very well, I'll try to better my ability to read others" If he could read people better, there was less of a chance of him, or those close to him getting hurt.

Kaito blew out a breath, knowing that he'd probably done the best he could do to get Saguru to understand. "On another note, are my wings almost clean yet?" The magician asked, it was hard to fight the soothing lull of the older's fingers weaving through his feathers yet not actually touching the skin. If they weren't in an onsen, he'd probably had allowed himself to fall asleep.

The blond paused and gave Kaito's wings a cursory look before combing out a small clump of mud. "They appear to be, however it would be best to do one final comb through to double check" Saguru stated, knowing that if he'd missed some mud, it could cause irritation and potential infection in the future depending on how stubborn Kaito was in admitting that a spot had been missed.

"Kay, thanks" The magician replied, stifling a yawn. The combination of steamy air and Saguru's gentle touch were making him sleepy.

' _I'll wake up better once I get into the actual onsen, then I'd actually be moving to keep myself awake_ '

After a few more minutes, Kaito felt a bucket of warm water being dumped onto his back, his wings twitching slightly at the sudden load of weight tugging at them. "There should be no mud left" Saguru concluded.

"Than—Gah!" Kaito quickly grabbed his seat to prevent himself from falling off of it, only to realize that in doing so he'd been sent into the water via Saguru shoving the seat with his foot. He quickly put his wings away before surfacing the water, spluttering.

"Is he okay?" Indigos stung slightly at the water dripping down his face as he opened them to see an unknown male peeking in. The man was shaven bald and was dressed in similar attire to how Kyuumi had been dressed.

' _Dammit! He could have warned me instead of shoving me_!'

Kaito visibly pouted as he made his way to the side of the onsen and leaned on it. Saguru nodded in affirmation. "Yes, he just slipped a bit" Kaito inwardly grumbled, wondering if the blond was taking revenge for the many pranks played on him in the past.

The man nodded "Very well, sorry for intruding..." He paused awkwardly "But we need to occasionally check on our guests to make sure they haven't drowned or passed out..." He replied before stepping out, leaving the two teens alone.

"Why'd you shove me?!" Kaito huffed, annoyed.

Saguru gave a small smile "You were facing the other way and didn't see the door opening" He shrugged "A verbal warning would seem suspicious if overheard, in addition..." He smirked "I thought that it would be quite amusing to see you go sliding into the onsen"


	61. Chapter 61

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written September 2 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad November 9 2019  
> Posted here January 25 2020

"Somehow I don't really believe that was the sole reason for you shoving me..." Kaito smirked, sending a wake of water his way.

' _Of course it wasn't_ '

Saguru didn't bother to dodge the water, he was planning on getting in the onsen anyways. "You really shouldn't purposely splash water out of the onsen" The blond replied as he walked over and entered the warm water, pleased by it's pleasant warmth.

Indigos gleamed, a sudden urge to cause mischief appearing within the magician "I'll do what I want!" He snickered before snatching Saguru's towel and scurrying away, grateful that the onsen wasn't too shallow or too deep.

"Kaito!" Saguru growled, somehow only mildly surprised by the magician's antics. He went to chase the other before pausing and sitting back down near the shallow area. He'd had preferred to get his towel back, but a better way to get back at Kaito seemed to be to ignore him. He'd eventually come back within grabbing range, until then he'd be patient. Kaito was a lot faster than him after all.

' _I should have already known that Kaito would eventually go after my towel... Its the sort of childish thing he'd do_ '

Kaito smirked at him from the other side of the onsen, holding the towel up in his left hand like a trophy "You're not going to come get it?" He teased.

The blond raised a brow, gold glancing to the side. "Why should I? It's not like you're wearing a towel either" He grinned then the brunette froze and looked down at himself, shock coating the younger's features.

"What?!?" Confused indigos looked around "When did I lose my towel?" Kaito asked before his gaze narrowed at the blond "Did you somehow take it without me noticing?" He murmured, his gaze filled with suspicion.

Saguru stifled a chuckle as he shook his head "No, you lost it when I shoved you into the onsen" He smirked "I got a full view before you hit the water" He teased, he wasn't lying either. He had accidentally seen Kaito fully naked once again after he'd pushed him. Since there had been no danger to distract him, he'd be lying if he said it hadn't been a nice view. Kaito was fit enough to live up to his crazy feats.

' _He's quite attractive, it's a shame that I didn't get a better look_ '

Kaito frowned, nodding in understanding "That makes more sense than you actually managing to steal it without me noticing" He flung the wet towel over towards the bathing area, the weight added by the water allowing him do do so with ease. "There, now neither of us can fight over the towel" He snickered, knowing that the other would have probably attempted to snatch it back eventually.

"Kaito..." Saguru paused, shaking his head "I don't even know how to react to that childish move" He sighed, now neither of them could leave the onsen without flashing the other.

' _I wonder if he thought that through or not_...'

A cheshire grin spread across Kaito's lips as he sidled up to Saguru and leaned a bit on his shoulder "Aww does Saguru-chan have something to hide?" He cooed into his ear.

The blond rolled his eyes and shoved the brunette off "I assure you, I don't" He replied smoothly, not in the least disturbed by the other's closeness.

The magician gave a small pout, slightly disappointed that he hadn't managed to make Saguru at least slightly flustered. He'd been hoping that the other's English upraising would have made him more self conscious. "I had actually expected you to be a lot more prude" Kaito confessed, leaning against the wall beside Saguru but not touching him.

Saguru gave a small chuckle at the statement. "It's true that I may have never been within an onsen before now" He glanced at the teen "But since I'm here with you, I figured that you'd try to mess with me at some point" He paused, giving a small shrug "Plus I'm not adverse to feeling your naked body leaning on me" He added with a straight face.

* * *

"Saguru!" Kaito gasped, sounding scandalized, bringing his hand up to his chest as he leaned away despite the wide grin on his face. "I didn't know you were capable of such phrases!" Kaito laughed, giving the other a light smack on the head. It was more like a tap than a smack.

' _I can't believe he actually said that_!'

Saguru smirked, amused that he'd caught the other off guard. "You're a very attractive person Kaito, I've already told you that" Saguru replied, leaning a bit into the other's personal space. The magician blushed slightly. "And I'm also a healthy teenage male, of course I wouldn't mind" He breathed.

' _Oh shit! I knew he was attractive, but he's kinda sexy when he talks like that_!'

Kaito turned his torso a bit away from the other to hide the beginning of a problem but stayed facing the blond. "So to make things clear..." He paused, blushing a little more. This wasn't how he'd expected the trip to the onsen to play out "We're both attracted to each other and like the other's personality?" He inquired, wanting to clarify things since he didn't want to risk screwing up their friendship if he read any of Saguru's actions wrong. He liked their friendship, it was fun.

Gold gleamed in understanding "That appears to be the case..." He narrowed his eyes in thought before glancing back towards Kaito, giving him an appraising look "Should we date?" He asked, unfamiliar with actual courting.

The magician gave a small snort at the lacklustre pseudo confession "I'm not against trying if you're not" He smiled, amused by the oddness.

' _I really do like him a lot, I'm also physically attracted towards him. Maybe if we date I could develop some romantic feelings towards him. Saguru seems to be in the same position. If not I'm pretty sure we could still be friends if it doesn't work out_ '


	62. Chapter 62

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written September 4 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad November 11 2019  
> Posted here January 27 2020

Saguru nodded, a small smile on his lips "Very well, we are now officially courting each other" He added with a small blush. He'd never really seriously thought about courting someone before let alone Kaitou Kid's civilian persona. He highly doubted that it would be a boring experience. He took Kaito's left hand and brought it up to his lips, placing a quick kiss on the top "I look forward to spending more time with you Kaito" He breathed, meeting the younger's gaze. Kaito's face flushed bright red.

' _Dammit Saguru_!'

Kaito took his hand back "I thought I was the one who's supposed to be the flirt" He joked, scooting over so that they were right beside each other.

The blond blinked in confusion before giving him a smug smirk. "So despite how much flirting you regularly dish out..." He trailed off, leaning in to give Kaito a quick peck on the cheek "It seems as if you're unable to take what you dish out" He breathed as he examined the other's flushed appearance. He never would have guessed that Kaito was actually shy when flirted with.

"So what if I am?!" Kaito spluttered, heart pounding harshly in his chest. It wasn't his fault that he'd never really had time to look for a girlfriend or boyfriend, he'd been occupied with other things. Any flirting he'd received had been when he'd been Kid. Which meant they were superficial at best, and downright creepy at worst. With Saguru, it was different. Kaito gave him an annoyed pout.

' _I thought that he was supposed to be a gentleman_..."

The blond chuckled, he sort of liked this unexpected revelation. Kaito was kinda cute when actually flustered. "Nothing is wrong with that" He was sort of excited to learn more about this side of him. "It just means that I now have a good way to show my affections" He breathed.

Kaito scoffed "some gentleman you are" He snickered "You've shattered my precious views about you regarding relationsh—" Kaito suddenly made a choking sound as if he'd swallowed his spit wrong "Oh my god!" He squeaked, indigos wide as his face seemed to pale. "That won't fit in me!"

' _Holy shit, why is his dick so big_?!?'

Saguru looked at him in confusion before following the other's line of sight. He burst out laughing when he realized what Kaito had meant. The actual horror on Kaito's face was hilarious.

' _It's not funny! That thing would tear me, I just know it_!'

"So you've already established that you'd be on the bottom?" Saguru snickered once his laughing had died down. He'd always thought that the stubborn magician wouldn't let anyone boss him around.

Kaito's look of horror was immediately replaced with one of embarrassment. "Umm..." He flushed "I really wouldn't mind it if it's someone I trust..." Kaito really wished that they weren't having this conversation while they were both naked.

* * *

Saguru raised a brow "Really?" He inquired, Kaito gave a silent nod, avoiding eye contact.

' _With how much he taunts and makes sure he's always always the victor as Kid, I'd thought he'd have preferred to be on top_...'

"Yeah..." He breathed "I always have to be in control is Kid you know?" He wrong his hands together "I think that it'd be nice to let someone else have control for once... and just relax" He still didn't meet Saguru's gaze "They'd have to someone I trust of course..." He trailed off, clearly embarrassed.

Saguru nodded in understanding, being in control was nice, but always having that responsibility can quickly become tiring. He smiled "When that time comes, I'll promise not to damage your trust" He replied, it felt nice to have that king of trust placed on him. It was a different sort of trust than what he was used to.

"You better keep to your word" Kaito huffed, smiling slightly "Though that won't be for a good, long, time. I don't think my virgin ass can handle your monster dick"

' _So he's recovered enough from being flustered to joke again'_

Saguru rolled his eyes "I can assure you that I am only a little bigger than a good amount of people"

Kaito blinked, looked down at himself and frowned "So I'm just small?" He whined, a little miffed.

A small snort escaped from Saguru "Yes you're small, but also a decent size" He smirked "Though, there are others much smaller than you"

Kaito let out a small sigh before indigos narrowed at the teen "So I won't be torn apart if that thing goes up my ass?"

 _'Torn? Dear god no wonder he looked horrified if he thought that could happen_ '

"No, I wouldn't do that to you" He smirked "I'd first stick my fingers up your ass to loosen you up"

Kaito grimaced in disgust "That's so unsanitary! Shit comes out from there!" He didn't really know much about how two males had sex together besides the fact that the dick went up the ass.

Saguru blinked "Males urinate from their penises, yet others still put them in their mouth" At Kaito's disgusted look Saguru sighed "Maybe when we get back you should go watch some porn on your own" From the brunette's reactions, he doubted that the magician had ever done so.

Kaito frowned, sex didn't sound as appealing as a lot of people made it out to be. It sounded gross now that he thought about it. "I guess if you're telling me to, it can't be a bad idea..." He really didn't want to, but he guessed that since it's Saguru suggesting it, it can't be that bad. He really wished he paid more attention when he'd overheard people talking about sex.

 _'How could Kaito be so uneducated about this? Though maybe he just wasn't paying attention_...' 

"Yes, pay attention to the reactions and know that they've most likely showered first before filming" Saguru added.

Kaito let out a small hum before meeting Saguru's gaze "I'm really not interested in looking at random people having sex" He paused "So maybe in a few months or years you could educate me instead?" He inquired, cheeks slightly tinted "I'm sure I'd be more interested in  _your_  naked body than those belonging to strangers"


	63. Chapter 63

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written September 17 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad November 14 2019  
> Posted here January 29 2020

"I have a job for you wasp" A voice stated from the other side of the phone.

Wasp's grip around the phone tightened at the voice "I thought that I was retired from duty" Wasp grit out, a small tremble in their voice.

A dark chuckle was heard "Don't worry, it's an easy job" The voice paused "There's been rumours of a real life angel existing. Have you heard any of them?"

Wasp was silent for a moment "But he's only a boy" They trailed off "Surely I don't need to kill him?"

The voice made an amused sound "I don't need you to kill him, I need you to subdue him for transport. Healing abilities are awfully similar to immortality, maybe we can learn something from him"

Wasp froze "He's too young-" They were swiftly cut off by the voice.

"You know what will happen if you disobey me don't you?" The voice threatened.

Wasp closed their eyes "Very well... Please await my call" Wasp replied, they really hated when the targets were young.

* * *

Kaito smiled contentedly as he nuzzled into Saguru's hold, both were clothed in the onsen's casual yukitas beneath the blankets. After finishing up in the onsen the two had just spent the rest of the day cuddling and chatting within their room. It had been nice, at first Kaito had been a little nervous that things might be a little sexual because of their conversation within the onsen. He didn't really feel ready for that sort of thing yet. Thankfully Saguru hadn't tried to make a move on him. They'd already eaten and had settled in for the night. Saguru had fallen asleep quite quickly, Kaito had not.

' _Something feels odd in the atmosphere of the onsen_ '

He hadn't really noticed it that much, but throughout the night the feeling of something wrong kept growing stronger. Indigos glanced sadly at the sleeping blond before carefully slipping out of his warm embrace. He was going to check out whatever was making him feel like this.

Silently, he slipped out of their shared room, managing to not make a single noise in the process. A sly smirk spread across his lips. He really was the best at sneaking around.

' _Now to find out what's making me feel odd_ '

The magician skilfully slunk through the shadows, his presence indistinguishable within the darkness as he approached a room. It wasn't one of the rooms they'd booked so it must belong to one of the owners. That didn't really matter, what mattered was that he could feel a faint pull, leading him towards that exact room. It was a strange, new feeling for him. He felt like he  _needed_  to go in there.

He slid the door open with relative ease, the lock no more than simple child's play for him. Indigos blinked in confusion at the tiny form of a child resting in a futon. He hadn't really expected that.

 _'Was I called here by this child?_ '

Kaito frowned as he approached the sleeping child, wincing when he knelt beside her. She was radiating heat like nothing else. He gently put a hand on her forehead, grimacing at the fever he felt. He bit his lip, the little girl was sick.  _Really_ sick.

' _Did my magic bring me to her so that I could heal her?_ '

He gave his surroundings a wary glance. He hadn't been drawn to other sick people. Was she dying?

' _I'm going to heal her_ '

With his mind made up, the brunette allowed his wings to take form. The dark feathers easily hidden within the shadows. He closed his eyes as he focused on the softness of his magic within him. It seemed to give him a soft and fuzzy feeling whenever he drew upon it. Kaito let out a steady breath as he felt the magic wash over himself momentarily before branching out towards the little girl. He didn't really have a sense of time while healing her, his fuzzy magic soothing him to a point that the thought of time didn't really matter. All that really mattered right now was healing this girl.

"Am I dying?" The soft voice startled the brunette out of his magic induced trance, the soft white glow quickly faded, leaving the room once again under the cloak of darkness.

Indigos blinked "Why would you think that little miss?" He asked softly, flashing her a soft smile. He didn't feel any of that heat surrounding her from before.

"The pain is gone and you're visiting me" The girl replied, reaching towards his wings. Kaito froze when her tiny fingers ran along their tips, her brown eyes wide in awe "Aren't you here to take me to the afterlife?" She asked, tiny traces of fear laced within her words.

Kaito shook his head "Nope, I came here to heal you" He magicked up a white rose and offered it to her "What's your name?" He asked, grinning when the little girl accepted the rose.

Tears began falling down her face before she suddenly leapt at the brunette, hugging him "Thank you Angel-san!" She cried. Indigos softened as he returned the hug, patting her reassuringly on the back.

"It's okay" He soothed "Please don't cry"

"Mommy told me that the angels would take me soon" She whimpered into Kaito's chest "She said that my pain would be gone when I left"

Kaito's mouth went dry "Why were the angels going to take you?" He inquired softly, voice barely audible.

"My blood went bad after I accidentally cut myself on some glass" She paused " Since then I've been getting sick often, but the icky medicine stopped working and I kept getting sicker"

Kaito gave her a little squeeze "Well you're all better now little miss"

The girl smiled "I'm Maya-chan!"

The brunette chuckled, pulling back from the hug to meet her gaze "Well Maya-chan, can you do me a big favour?" At the girl's nod he smiled "Don't mention me or anything about angels okay? Bad people would go after me if you did" He replied, wishing that his wings didn't need to be out for him to consciously heal someone.

Maya nodded, eyes wide "Of course!" She promised.


	64. Chapter 64

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written September 22 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad November 16 2019  
> Posted here January 31 2020

Kaito grinned as he left the now sleeping girl's room, healing her illness made him feel giddy. His magic reserve felt a bit strained but that was fine. He'd done a large healing despite being new at all of this magic stuff.

 _'l wonder if I'll always feel this good after healing someone like that? I really hope so_ '

He really liked helping people, so the good feeling was a great bonus. He hid his wings, allowing them to slip out of visibility as he made his way back to his and Saguru's room. He silently slipped through the door and nestled back into Saguru's warm embrace. The detective wrapped his arms around the brunette, pulling Kaito closer to his chest "Where'd you go?" Saguru sleepily inquired, he'd noticed Kaito leaving but had chosen to stay silent. He trusted the younger not to get into too much trouble.

Kaito gave him a soft smile "I sensed something amiss so I followed the feeling" He gave Saguru a light peck on the cheek when the older's arms tensed "Don't worry Saguru, it wasn't anything dangerous" He grinned "There was a little girl who was really sick and I healed her" He breathed "I think that I'm going to be able to sense levels of illness in people" That was good, he'd be able to prevent those he cared about from getting too sick.

' _I'm pretty sure that girl might have had HIV... So if I'm able to cure something like that... I could probably cure most of the other illnesses as well_ '

* * *

Saguru smiled at Kaito's obvious happiness, of course healing a little girl would raise his spirits "That's amazing, just make sure that you don't accidentally use up too much magic" He warned, knowing that he should probably remind him. He didn't want to lose Kaito because of something that could have been easily avoided.

' _He might forget one day due to the joy of healing others_ '

Indigos softened "Don't worry Saguru" He smirked "There's no way that I'm going to leave you" He gave the blond a peck on the cheek "Especially since we've just started a relationship together" Even if they hadn't Kaito wouldn't leave him, Saguru didn't have much support to spare.

* * *

When the two woke up, the two of them ate a nice breakfast of rice and omelettes before leaving the onsen. The place was nice, but both teens had been eager to return to the Hakuba estate. It was too expensive to stay another night on a whim.

"When we get back, I'm going to head to the station to see if I can help out some" Saguru stated as they stepped off of the plane. He hadn't really been o the station recently and felt a little bad.

' _At least there shouldn't have been any heist notices for them to mull over_ '

Kaito nodded "Kay, I'll stay back at the mansion" A mischievous smirk crossed over his face "I'm not sure that I'd be able to resist doing anything if I went there" He teased, grinning at how Saguru grimaced.

"Yes, I believe that it would be a great idea for you to stay behind" The blond breathed, feeling as if he's narrowly missed an unpleasant experience. He'd take any small mercies when they were given.

' _I must have narrowly missed a disaster..._ '

* * *

"Kaito dear" Baaya smiled in greeting when she spotted the magician "Welcome back" She glanced around "And where is Saguru?" She mused, a little surprised to see that the brunette had returned alone.

' _It's odd to see them not together nowadays._..'

Kaito flashed her a warm smile "Saguru decided to head to the station" He held up both his own and the blond's bags "He dropped me off here first" He replied.

"Why don't you set your things down in your room" Baaya smiled "You must be tired from you trip so I'll make something for you" It was the least she could do for him taking care of Saguru.

' _Kaito's presence has been so good for Saguru._..'

"Kay, be back in a few!" The magician replied with a wave before bolting up the stairs. Baaya smiled at his energy.

' _Ah to be young._..'

She made her way to the kitchen and prepare Kaito a nice lettuce, cheese, and tomato sandwich. Managing to just set down a glass of chocolate milk in his spot right before he returned.

Indigos lit up when Kaito noticed the meal, he cast a bright smile towards Baaya "This looks amazing" He praised as he took a seat "Thanks Baaya"

Baaya watched Kaito take a bite with a fond smile "You've been so good for Saguru" She replied as she began to clean up some of the utensils used.

The magician grinned "He's been good to me too" A small blush tinted his cheeks as he lowered his gaze "We're dating now so it won't end anytime soon"

His words caused Baaya to fumble a spoon, making it drop onto the floor "Already?!" She gasped, she knew it would happen, just not so soon. Tears welled up in her eyes.

' _My little Saguru is growing up._..'

Indigos blinked curiously before a small smile graced his lips "You really care for Saguru don't you?" He breathed, bringing the glass of chocolate milk to his lips before pausing and placing it back down.

"I see him as my own son" Baaya's gaze softened as she knelt down to pick up the spoon "I'd do anything for him if it meant that it will keep him safe" She never really had a chance to have a child, but she didn't really mind much after meeting Saguru.

A sad smile tugged at Kaito's lips as he lowered his head "I love him too" He breathed, picking the glass back up. He met her gaze "I forgive you" He replied before drinking the chocolate milk.

Tears fell down her face as she watched the magician sway before swiftly falling into unconsciousness "I'm so sorry Kaito" Baaya choked out, clenching her eyes shut.

 _'I had to, for Saguru.._.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did Berry surprise you?


	65. Chapter 65

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written September 22 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad November 19 2019  
> Posted here February 1 2020

"You have done well Wasp"

Baaya turned around, shooting a teary glare at the intruder "Please be gentle with him, he reacts to stress like a bird" She pleaded, fingers clenched. She didn't want Kaito to die.

' _They don't know that he's Kid, so he has a chance_...'

The figure nodded, stepping purposely towards the unconscious teen. He ran a finger along the feathers in awe "Noted" He breathed "It would be a waste for such a fine specimen to die early on"

A small tremble ran through her frame "I'm the only witness, leave Saguru out of this" All of this was for Saguru, if he was hunted down it would have all been for nothing. Kaito was Kid, so he should hopefully be strong enough to hold on until Saguru found him. He had to, for Saguru's sake.

"Very well" He breathed, raising his gun "I'll honour your last wish" He replied, firing the gun. It was so sudden, she almost didn't feel the impact of the bullet to her chest. Almost.

* * *

Saguru stared, his house was on fire. Why was his house on fire?! He'd just returned from the station to see multiple firetrucks surrounding his house. His heart quickened as he frantically looked around, surely both Kaito and Baaya had gotten out safe right? He jogged over to one of the firemen "What happened?" He breathed, desperation edging his voice.

' _Why is my house on fire?_!'

The fireman turned towards him "We don't know" He replied "Do you know the people who live here?"

Saguru shook his head "I live here" he replied.

The fireman pursed his lips, putting a reassuring hand onto the teen's shoulder "I'm sorry, but can you help identify the body?"

"The body...?" The blond choked out, his blood suddenly going cold. Panic filled him at the thought of a body. Kaito and Baaya were supposed to have been the only person people within the mansion. The only people who the body could be. He felt himself sway a bit but quickly steadied himself. Maybe a stupid robber had gotten in and had died instead.

' _Oh dear god, please let it have been a robber'_

* * *

It wasn't a robber. A few sobs caught in his throat as he looked away, it was Baaya. But if that was Baaya, where was Kaito? Had he left before the fire started? Or had something happened and he'd gotten trapped and hadn't yet been found. Tsuki suddenly landed on his shoulder, her snowy white feathers dusted grey with soot. he carefully scooped the little dove up in his hands and began to look her over for injuries. He needed something to occupy his mind. He'd break down when things were sorted out.

' _Not yet... I need to be strong_ '

The dove suddenly pecked him "Why would you do that?" He mused half to himself, Tsuki extended out her foot, attached to it was a mini camera. Gold widened in understanding "Thank you!" He breathed, nuzzling her before gently removing the camera. He would never cease to be impressed by Kaito's talents.

' _His doves are so smart... but_...'

He suddenly remembered Watson, his beloved hawk didn't have the ability to free roam like Kaito's doves. His eyes stung, hopefully her enclosure had been damaged enough before Watson had succumbed to the smoke of flames. He'd rather have her free than dead.

He glanced around, he couldn't do much here so it'd be better off if he left for someplace he could view the video feed "I don't think your master will mind if I stay at his place for a while will he?" He asked Tsuki, hopefully Kaito would show up before he reached the Kuroba residence. It'd be nice if he didn't need to use the key Kaito had gifted him.

' _I need to know who killed her_ '

Baaya was too smart to accidentally set the house on fire, it had to have been done by someone else.

* * *

Saguru buried his face in his hands, all the feed told him was that Kaito had been kidnapped by a masked man, and that Baaya had been shot. There hadn't been any sound on the video unfortunately. It didn't really help that the video started with Kaito already unconscious, there hadn't even been signs of a struggle.

' _Why hadn't there been a struggle? There's no way that Kaito would go down without a fight_ '

All he knew was that Kaito was in serious trouble, the teen's wings had been out, meaning that he couldn't show the film to just anyone. It also meant that Kaito had most likely been the initial target "Dear god..." Saguru muttered to himself, sagging down onto the magician's bed. He'd decided to watch the film in Kaito's room for privacy "They're probably going to experiment on him" He sobbed, it had been one of the magician's biggest fears. He wiped his eyes, where should he even start looking for him?

* * *

Kaito felt a little chilled, bleary indigos opened, only to be met with nothing but white. He was in a small white room, both the walls and floors were padded and there was an equally white toilet in the far corner of the room. He was also, he realised belatedly, naked. He was wearing nothing but a metal band around his wrist. He tried to remove it but it wouldn't go past his hand, it seemed to have been welded around his wrist. He'd need big tools to remove the band.

' _I hope Baaya can take care of Saguru until I can get back._..'

He frowned for a moment before glaring at one of the many 'hidden' cameras pointed his way. The creeps, he should at least be allowed some clothing. He then noticed that his wings were still out, indigos widened fearfully. He'd forgotten to put them away before drinking the drugged chocolate milk.

' _So they already know about my wings... Okay, that's not good_...'

He forced himself to remain calm on the outside. He'd thought that he was going to be used for ransom! Not captured like this. He glared at the door, it had no lock or doorknob. He'd have to wait and meet his keepers before escaping.


	66. Chapter 66

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written September 23 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad November 23 2019  
> Posted here February 2 2020

Kaito wasn't really sure how much time had passed, all he knew was that it had been long enough for him to grow board. He'd taken residence in the corner farthest away from the door, hopefully the little bit of extra distance would help him escape.

' _I know being bored can technically be called a good thing in this situation, but I still don't like it_ '

He let out a soft sigh as he rested his head back against the padded wall, a little grateful that it was soft. It made sitting like that a lot more comfortable. A familiar hissing sound met his ears, indigos narrowed as an almost translucent gas began to seep out of the ceiling.

 _'So they're not going to give me the chance to escape_...'

He tried holding his breath to fight the gas. Unfortunately he could only hold his breath for so long.

* * *

When Kaito regained consciousness, he was surprised at the change of location. Instead off the padded room, he was in a room filled with medical equipment. He was strapped down into a chair. The straps were around his torso, and legs, there were none around his arms, but they were instead numb, he tried to move them, but his fingers didn't so much as twitch.

"Stop tying to move your arms, they were injected with a local tranquilliser, they won't move" Indigos flickered over towards a young black haired woman, she looked to be around 24 or so. The woman smiled when a steady blush tinted the magician's cheeks "We've taken extra care to make sure that you can't escape. We actually already had measures taken in the event that we capture a magician" She gave Kaito a pat on the head "This place is meant to be Kaitou Kid proof, so not even a stray magician like yourself can escape form here"

' _Kaitou Kid?_!'

Kaito blinked in surprise at the mention of his moonlight persona, internally panicking. There was one crazy group that he knew for a fact was after Kaitou Kid "Why am I here?" He inquired, deciding to play ignorance. He didn't think that it'd be good if they found out that he was actually Kid.

 _'So it's known for sure that they're after Kuroba Kaito, not Kaitou Kid_ '

She smiled "I was told to play nice with you" She pulled out a cotton swab and began to rub his right shoulder with it "But all that really means is that I won't needlessly hurt you" She uncapped a syringe and stuck it into his arm "After this meeting you won't be granted the gift of being talked to as a human" She pushed down on the plunger, injecting the clear liquid into him "You are now our priority specimen"

* * *

Kaito was getting really tired of being knocked out and waking up in different places. He scowled, realising that he was back in the padded room. How many times had he been knocked out? He wasn't really sure. It had all started to fuzz together after the tenth time.

' _My sense of time is completely shot._..'

He grimaced as he rubbed his right hipbone, it was actually feeling very sore. He glanced down at it and froze.

' _That looks like a brand_...'

He bit his lip, he didn't remember that happening. How long did it take serious burns to heal? He wasn't sure but he knew that it took a long time. The brand consisting of the numbers 1486912 looked mostly healed.

' _How long have I been here_?'

His memory was supposed to be perfect, yet this only felt like the third time he's woken up in this place.

* * *

Saguru was a mess, it'd been over three months since Baaya had died and Kaito had been taken, three months, 15 days, 6 hours, 40 minutes, 17 seconds and .01 milliseconds since he'd last seen the magician. The police had already lost hope in finding him. It wasn't like Saguru could show them the video.

He'd been living in the magician's house, even after expedited repairs had been done for the Hakuba residence. Living in the Kuroba residence made him feel closer to Kaito, and it wasn't filled with memories of Baaya.

' _I need to find him, who knows what they've already done to him?_!'

He turned on the TV, deciding that he needed to clear his head.

"And tonight's heist target seems too be the Moon's Wish! Will Kaitou Kid be able to make off with the diamond?"

The blond froze at the words, a Kid heist tonight? Hope fluttered within his chest. Escaping then throwing a heist to taunt his enemies was something that Kaito would do. he swiftly took note of the location and time before heading out the door. He needed to see his magician.

* * *

Saguru's heart fluttered as he saw that familiar white clad figure, there was no way that this Kid was a fake. Their stance was too perfect. A wide smile bloomed on his face as he wiped away a few happy tears that had fallen. Kaito was okay. He watched in awe as Kid effortlessly dodged the task force with ease, as if he hadn't been captured for months. He'd never really seen a Kid heist from an outsider's perspective before, something that he now sorely regretted.

As Kid stood atop the museum's roof proudly, he looked victorious as he held up the gem to the moon. Gold widened in shock when a magnificent red glow cast out it's light from the gem.

' _He's found Pandora_...'

A gunshot cut Saguru out of his shocked daze, horror filled him at the sight of white staggering before falling off the roof "NO!"

* * *

' _Where is he?! He bloody well better not have died!'_

Kaito couldn't have escaped their grips, only to die after meeting his goal right?! That wouldn't be fair. A flash of white within the bushes made the blond pause momentarily before running towards it "Dear god!" He breathed, tears threatening to fall when he spotted the limp figure of his thief. Thankfully the white hadn't been stained with red "Kaito you idiot!" He hissed, swiftly kneeling down to check his vitals.

He blinked after getting a better look at the face "Kudo-kun?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ark is dark, but strategically censored since I didn't want to scare my Wattpad readers away~  
> Even though sometimes not knowing is scary in it's own sense...


	67. Chapter 67

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written September 29 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad November 25 2019  
> Posted here February 3 2020
> 
> \-------
> 
> Whatever happens to Kaito is NOT sexual at all

Saguru momentarily froze when he realized that the one playing Kaitou Kid wasn't Kaito. A few seconds later, he snapped back into reality. He glanced around nervously for any spectators, after seeing none he quickly picked up the unconscious sleuth. He couldn't leave Shinichi here where the police or whoever had shot him could easily find him. He swallowed, weariness returning. He'd been so excited to see Kaito again.

' _I wonder why Kudo-kun held a Kid heist._..'

* * *

"The subject's healing speed is incredible!"

* * *

Saguru sighed as he gently laid Shinichi down onto Kaito's bed, he'd already changed the other into a pair of Kaito's pyjamas. He figured that the other would be more comfortable if he woke up in clothing designed to sleep in. It wasn't like Shinichi could sleep in the Kid clothes after all, especially when the house next door was where the inspector lived. Thankfully when Saguru had changed him, he hadn't found any injuries besides an ugly bruise on the other's chest. Shinichi was lucky that he'd been wearing a bulletproof vest.

' _I already knew that they associated with each other, but I never would have figured that Kudo-kun would dress up as Kid and take part in a heist._..'

The blond looked at the other's sleeping face forlornly, he looked so much like Kaito. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, that doesn't matter, Kaito will be found alive.

 _'I miss him_...'

* * *

"What do you mean that the samples are impotent?!" A male scientist growled, he didn't have time for games.

The female assistant held up her clipboard as if it could shield her from his wrath "I'm sorry, but the subjects sperm samples have come up as blanks"

The male snarled "Then how the hell are we supposed to breed it to make more of these things?!" The creature was obviously male, if the way it took after human males was any indicator. The main goal when finding a new species was almost always to find or make more of them.

* * *

Azure eyes groggily blinked open, it took him a few moments to recognize where he was. He was in Kaito's room. His gaze darkened as he pursed his lips at the thought of the magician. It'd been too long since he'd went missing.

' _Hakuba-kun probably found me, I don't think anyone but him would bring me to Kuroba's house_ '

He felt a little bad for leaving his fellow detective alone so far, but he'd had things to do. The blond had probably been watched for a good while after Kaito was taken. Thus the more sad and hopeless the other seemed, the more the Crows would let their guard down. Why wouldn't they if it seemed like the main force of the magician's search team was losing steam? It was both a cruel and calculated choice on Shinichi's part, but also a necessary one. He only hoped that Saguru still had the strength to continue the search with him.

* * *

"Check it's reproductive systems!" The male growled "Since it's part bird, maybe the human-like genitalia was made to mislead others in order to protect it's real systems!" Or maybe it was both male and female for it's species, he didn't care. He just needed to know whether or not the subject could be bred or not.

* * *

The blond looked up from his book in surprise, he hadn't expected the other to wake up so soon. He gave a weak smile "I'm glad that you're awake" He breathed as he watched Shinichi reach the bottom of the stairs.

Azure flashed at him sympathetically "I'm sorry" The sleuth apologized, lowing his head "I should have contacted you about my plans but the reactions had to be real" He'd already known that the magician and blond were close.

' _I probably gave him false hopes then scared him half to death_...'

Gold stared blankly at Shinichi for a few moments before softening "It's okay" He swallowed, it actually wasn't. Thinking that Kaito had returned only to die had hurt. A lot "I'm sure that you will divulge your reasoning for last night's actions" Shinichi wasn't a cruel person by nature, surely he had a good reason.

Shinichi nodded, taking a seat on the couch next to Saguru "I needed both Kid's and Kaito's disappearances to not align" He breathed, meeting Saguru's gaze "It was too dangerous to have both identities stay missing for the same amount of time, Kid needed to take action" A sheepish smile tugged at the sleuth's lips "So I looked at Kuroba's notes for his next target and pulled the heist" His gaze lowered "Once I realized that the target was Pandora, I had to kill Kid" He finished.

' _If I didn't kill Kid, the Crows would probably continuously pull stunts in an attempt to lure him out_ '

Saguru nodded in contemplation "So that's why you were mostly uninjured despite being shot down" He breathed "What of Pandora?" He inquired.

Azure gleamed as Shinichi gave him a wry smile "It's hidden for when Kuroba is freed or he escapes. Kuroba more than anyone should be the one to destroy it" That gem had ruined his childhood, so it would only make sense if he were the one to destroy it.

A small smile appeared upon the blond's lips "At least Kaito can easily rest once he's found and rescued" The magician wouldn't have to worry about planning any more heists.

_'I hope Kuroba doesn't get annoyed at me for finding Pandora instead of him'_

Shinichi snorted "I don't think Kuroba is capable of resting properly for too long" He smirked "At least he can heal a lot quicker now" Azure gleamed "Hopefully he'll heal before he runs out of his patience for resting" He finished.

"Agreed, that would be optimal in my opinion" The blond agreed, a restless Kaito wasn't a fun Kaito to be around. It would be better for all parties if the magician wasn't bored enough to start playing pranks on people.


	68. Chapter 68

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written October 6 2019  
> Posted on wattpad November 30 2019  
> Posted here February 4 2020

Ginzo let out a defeated sigh as he sat back in his office chair, he felt weary and all sorts of tired after last night's heist. For a moment, when he had seen the heist note, he'd had hope. He'd remembered Saguru's past accusations of Kaito being Kid. Back then he'd refused to even give those accusations a single thought, refused to believe that Kaito would do that. Yet, at the sight of the notice he'd desperately hoped that the blond had been right. He didn't even care about arresting Kid anymore, he just wanted the boy he saw as his own son to come back.

He'd been elated during the heist, at the missed action of chasing down the familiar opponent, all the while wondering when Kaito would make his reappearance into society. There was no way that the boy was stupid enough to come back right after Kid's return, he'd kinda wished that Kaito had come back first before planning a heist.

' _If only it was that easy._..'

He leaned forward, resting his elbows against his desk as he buried he face into his hands. He was now back to denying that Kaito was Kid. Kaito couldn't be Kid, because Kid had gotten shot in the chest and disappeared without a trace. He refused to believe that Kaito was dead. The silly trickster was too important to go out and die like that. Though he also refused to believe that Kid was dead as well. His thoughts were a mess.

Ginzo glanced wearily at a stack of paperwork on his desk and reluctantly raised his head. He should get to work. He's unable to help Kaito right now, wherever he is, so he should at least help solve some crimes to help the victims.

' _Kaito will eventually show up_ '

* * *

"I've brought over some oatmeal cookies Aoko" Akako stated softly as she carried the tray of desserts into her girlfriend's room. They had gotten quite close recently, mainly because the witch had stayed close to ease Aoko's pain. She herself was hurting from the magician's kidnapping but had been keeping her pain at bay. Aoko needed the help more than her "They're nice and fresh" The witch smiled as she sat down beside the bed, placing the tray onto an end table. She'd removed the chocolate chips from the recipe. Chocolate made Aoko sad nowadays, it reminded her too much of Kaito.

' _The only thing that I know for sure is that he's alive. Why isn't Lucifer answering my calls when I try to ask about him?_ '

Aoko rolled over to face Akako, today was one of her bad days. She gave a watery smile "Thanks Akako, they look delicious" She praised, not really interested in eating the sweets. She did appreciate the action though. It meant a lot to her. Red eyes softened at Aoko as Akako leaned over and began running her fingers through the other's hair.

* * *

Kaito blinked in confusion, his head feeling very foggy, something didn't feel right. He was once again in that horribly white room. He blinked again and paused, lifting his right hand up to where his right eye should be. He frowned when he was met with a bandage, someone had removed his false eye.

' _I can't believe they even noticed it. It's not made from any metal and doesn't show up on any scans_...'

He grimaced as he lowered his hand, resting it on the floor. That meant that they were being very touchy with him, he didn't like that. He glared at the cameras, at least his burns didn't hurt anymore, he couldn't believe that he'd forgotten about his self healing ability.

' _They must be drugging me up pretty good_...'

Once he'd remembered his healing, a good amount of his fears had left him. There was a chance that he hasn't even been here for that long. He just had to hope that was the case.

* * *

"Have you made any headway in looking for Kaito?" Saguru inquired, hopeful that the so called 'Heisei Holmes' had made some progress. Saguru unfortunately hadn't had any such luck in that department.

' _I have no problem admitting that Kudo-kun is better than me. All that matters is that he's skilled and most likely has more connections than me_ '

Shinichi grimaced at the other's hopeful expression "There are some possible leads on a few potential locations" He paused in thought for a moment "Kuroba's rescue is currently the FBI's priority" He stated, deciding that he may as well warn the other about the presence of FBI agents. He didn't want to scare Saguru when they showed up, the blond might think that they were going to arrest Kaito. At Saguru's pale face he smiled "Don't worry, Kuroba is a NOC of sorts. He works with me for the FBI occasionally"

_'He hadn't expected that... Why didn't Kaito tell him?'_

"I see" Saguru breathed, feeling kinda hurt that the magician hadn't shared such important information with him. He knew it was classified but still.

"It's not that he didn't trust you" Gold met azure with confusion "Kuroba is kinda embarrassed to be working for the police" Shinichi shrugged "Plus I'm pretty sure that we wanted the revelation to shock you"  wry smile tugged at his lips "He's a jerk like that" He finished. It was up to him to defend Kaito since said magician was unavailable at the moment.

Relief flooded through Saguru, hadn't Kaito previously stated that he was embarrassed by how he made his money? "So the FBI provides the money for his heists?" He inquired with a small smile. That was funny.

' _So his only fears were of others being hurt because of his identity being revealed. It wouldn't matter if the FBI go to free him. His life would have still been destroyed after being caught_ '

Shinichi nodded "Yes, some of the higher ups are fans of Kid, plus he's good at drawing those Crows out" He replied "Though now that Kid is officially dead, Kuroba will probably have a different role" Azure gleamed. Kaito's skills were too powerful to give up on. He'd try to entice the magician to stay, but would let him leave if that was truly the other's wish.


	69. Chapter 69

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written October 7 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad December 2 2019  
> Posted here February 5 2020

Kaito was feeling really floaty, not really able to feel all of his limbs yet at the same time aware of them. He could feel something covering the lower part of his face, it was plastic. A breathing mask? Why would he need one of those? He was also somewhat aware of the weight of a few somethings hanging from his arms, though he wasn't really sure what those somethings were. He was just so, so tired for some reason. The voices around him sounded like nothing more than some random babble. He tried focusing but it was just too hard, he quickly gave up, allowing unconsciousness to take him.

' _Tired._..'

* * *

Saguru headed out for school, sorely wishing that summer break had not yet ended, it was odd to be in a peaceful classroom. Everyone around him seemed to silently agree, even the teachers. The whole atmosphere around the school was just awkward. Kaito really had gotten everyone accustomed to his antics, only the newly enrolled students were able to go about as normal, often giving the older students curious looks.

There wasn't anything that he could do to help find Kaito right then, so he'd decided to at least go to school to collect notes and homework assignments for Kaito. The magician probably wouldn't need the notes, but the assignments would prevent him from being held back a year. Kaito was smart enough to complete them easily, though the sheer amount may make Kaito upset.

' _When Kaito is rescued, he'll have a proper life to get back to_ '

When he spotted Aoko near the school gates he walked over and gave her a small smile "How are you today Nakamori-san?" He inquired, a little concerned about the magician's best friend. She had dark circles under her eyes and had traces of tear tracks on her face, though overall it didn't seem as if she had lost too much weight Akako was really taking care of her.

Aoko returned his smile with a smaller one of her own "I'm doing okay" She replied softly.

The blond placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder "That's good" He replied "When Kaito comes back he wouldn't want to hear about how sad you were" His words were hypocritical but that didn't really matter. The magician couldn't blame them for mourning at the start.

' _As long as things turn better before Kaito notices anything is up it should be fine_ '

Blue eyes blinked in confusion, going slightly teary as she registered Saguru's words "You don't think that Kaito is dead?" She breathed, a little shocked. Normally after this much time has passed, it meant that the missing person was probably dead. It wasn't like Saguru to have obscure hopes, the guy was normally practical.

Gold softened at her words "I just have a really strong feeling that Kaito is alive" He paused, a little unsure if he wanted to continue "When he's found he may not be in the best condition, but Kaito is strong. He'll bounce back in no time" He finished, not wanting to give her false hopes about the magician being unharmed. That would only hurt her more in the long run considering said magician was most likely being used as a lab rat.

Aoko's smile became a little more real "I really hope that you're right, I miss Bakaito..."

* * *

' _I'm being moved_...'

Kaito could feel himself a little more than before, however his limbs still felt like jelly. He seriously doubted that he'd be able to escape whoever was moving him right now. He then realized that he also felt wet, the weight of water was tugging down at his wings. He cracked his eyes open a crack to see that he was in a washroom of sorts, he was in the tub. Embarrassment clung to him when he realized that someone was bathing him.

' _I'm being treated like a child... Or even a dog.._.'

He tried to move away then the cloth neared his private areas but the hands holding him tightened their grip, preventing him from moving. A small whine escaped from the back of his throat at the helplessness of his situation, the one holding him just ignored it and carried on cleaning him. How humiliating, at least the person's movements didn't seem sexual towards him. Though that didn't stop the frustrated tears from welling up in the corners of his eyes. How many times had this been done without him knowing?

' _I hate this_...'

* * *

After school had ended for the day, Saguru hurried back to the Kuroba household. There had been plans previously made to meet up with Shinichi to discuss which location will be checked first. He'd wanted to hurry back when he'd gotten the text during lunch break, but the other had advised him not to. Any unusual behaviour may attract some unwanted attention from the crows. It was a good thing that they were both huge fans of Sherlock Holmes, it gave them a good excuse to hang out together.

_'I wonder, will the checking be done soon after deciding?'_

He hoped so, though at the same time he was a little wary. The rescue should be done right, he didn't want to know what would happen to Kaito if it failed. Would they take it out on him? Or possibly move him to a more hidden location? Both outcomes were quite horrible in his opinion.

' _Just stay alive please._..'

In all of his wildest imagination, he never would have imagined that he'd be working with the FBI. Even more so in order to take down a world-wide criminal syndicate. It was somewhat amazing that this would be Shinichi's second criminal syndicate take down. It made him a little more hopeful about the outcome since he would be working with people who had experience doing this kind of thing.

* * *

It was that stupid white room again, he was beginning to hate the colour white. What was it with scientists and the colour white?! Why couldn't there at least be a little more colour in his room. He suddenly shook his head, appalled.

' _No, this isn't my room, my room is in Edoka_ '


	70. Chapter 70

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written October 9 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad December 7 2019  
> Posted here February 6 2020

"So that's the location where Kaito is most likely to be hidden?" Saguru inquired as he looked at the offered picture. The building in the picture didn't really look that special, in fact it looked quite normal. He wouldn't let appearances deceive him though, normal was a very easy mask to hide under. The building was owned by a popular pharmaceutical  company called  _Life Expander,_ a very ironic name if they really were the people who'd kidnapped Kaito. Gold met azure "It seems too good to be true..." The blond muttered, shaking his head "It's too easy" The building actually wasn't that far away, it was actually located near downtown in Beika. It would make sense for them to have a base somewhat near where Kaitou Kid was most active, but still.

' _To think that Kaito has been so close all this time_...'

Shinichi nodded in understanding "I know, but a few of Kuroba's Crows have been spotted entering that building occasionally" He'd felt the same way when taking down his own organization "It's also the closest lead we have..." His voice trailed off for a moment "And considering the name. I'd say it's our best bet" He breathed, it was weird but criminal syndicates seemed to be fond of ironic names or code names. It was probably their ego.

Saguru let out a shaky breath at the confirmation, they were so close to getting Kaito back. He just hoped that whatever had been done to the magician wasn't too bad. Surely they had to at least making sure he was healthy right? Kaito wasn't the same as a lab rat. A person with wings can't be replaced as easily. They wouldn't dare risk killing him, right? "I really hope that Kaito is there" The magician had been missing for far too long as it was.

' _Life just isn't the same without Kaito... Even before we were dating, or even friends he'd already cemented himself within my life. His presence had been one that I hadn't even realized the importance of until shortly before he was taken_ '

Kaito was the kind of person who easily left an impression on people, especially those he hung around frequently. Saguru really missed him.

Sympathetic azure observed the blond "You really love that idiot don't you?" He inquired, having been observing the other's reactions. He understood what the blond saw in the magician, but it was still a little weird for Saguru of all people to fall for Kaito in his opinion. Though his non-existent relationship may deem his opinion invalid. It wasn't like he was the best person when it came to relationships. Ran still wanted to kill him via karate.

Saguru nodded "After actually getting to know him, and spending time together" He paused, a small smile tugging at his lips "Despite his tendency to do idiotic things, he eventually became very dear to me" He breathed. Not to mention that he was already somewhat physically attracted to Kaito, even before the magician grew wings. He just hadn't propositioned the other from fear of being pranked to social death and because Kaito had always been rude to him.

' _Kaito had a very good reason for disliking me back then... Every time I accused him, there had been a chance that the wrong people had heard... Once I stopped posing a threat to his civilian persona he became a lot more tolerable_ '

Shinichi smirked "Understandable, it's hard to hate him" He and Kaito weren't really friends, and probably never would be. Instead they were rivals or allies, it depended on the situation. Either way the respect between them was strong enough that they'd feel hurt if the other were to die. Maybe in another life they could have been friends, but their current relationship was good enough. They'd have each other's back no matter what, while at the same time trying to piss the other off.

Gold softened "True, almost everyone he's ever gone against likes him to some degree" Kaito was just that special.

* * *

"The artificial insemination didn't take, the egg wasn't fertilized" A female scientist sighed, the'd been excited when they'd spotted a much smaller hole nestled right below the subjects genitals. It was an easily missed location if one wasn't looking too closely. That extra hole had led to an area that wasn't present within humans nor birds, it was an anomaly specific to the subject. The subject hadn't seemed to have started producing eggs yet so it'd been injected with some specific hormones in an attempt to kick start the process. It had worked.

The subject laid about 1 egg every few weeks after the initial injection, of course none of them had been properly fertilized so they'd been small. Or at least small compared to a baby, the unfertilised eggs were about 5 and a half inches in length and 4 inches in diameter. They'd obviously kept the subject unconscious during the inseminations and layings in an attempt to keep it's stress levels down as directed. It was also interesting that the body had made it's own cavity to hold the egg, making it's presence within the subject visibly unnoticeable. As of now, they weren't sure if that would be the case when one of the eggs become fertilised. 

They also weren't sure if the fertilized eggs would stay within the subject and hatch there to make the birth more like a human's, or be laid and require warmth like a bird. They'd tried both fertilising the egg after being laid and before. The eggs already laid seemed to be incapable of nurturing life within them. Which meant artificial insemination directly into the subject was required.

The male clicked his tongue in frustration, directing a glare towards the unconscious subject as he tossed the violet egg into the disposal unit "Why aren't the eggs taking?!" He growled angrily, they were doing everything right. They'd even done compatibility tests between the subject's DNA and human DNA, the tests had come out positive. The subject was able to breed with humans, so why wasn't it working?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted Kaito to be able to lay eggs~ That's why I made him and Hakuba conveniently skip doing an ultrasound on Kaito during initial tests~ Plus he was newly changed so his body hadn't yet built up enough calcium for an egg to be visible on an X-ray. And Kaito only made sure he didn't have a cloaca, he didn't check for any additions.
> 
> A cloaca is the single hole birds use for poop, pee, and egg-laying... Meaning that Kaito was very relieved to still have all his manly bits.
> 
> I left the possibility open just in case I decided to go with it. Which I really wanted to do~ I wasn't sure if everyone would like it but if you've read this far, it's unlikely you'd stop reading due to egg laying. Don't worry, berry won't make something like that kinky XD
> 
> If anything she'll use it as humiliation and teasing and possible family making~


	71. Chapter 71

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written October 10 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad December 9 2019  
> Posted here February 6 2020

_'It hurts._..'

Kaito didn't really know what was being done to him, his drug addled mind was making it too hard for him to really concentrate on things happening around him more often than not. All he really knew, was that at that very moment, he was in a lot of pain. How could he feel so numb, yet at the same time be in so much pain? He wasn't sure, maybe the numbing agents only numbed his connection to his limbs? He'd built up a high tolerance to most pain relieving agents, so with him unable to move, he wondered if the people in charge even knew that he was in pain. He couldn't feel exactly where the pain was coming from, but he knew it was real. He also wanted it to stop.

Indigos managed to open just a sliver, and what Kaito saw made him want to cry and curl into himself for safety. He didn't even have the ability to let out a distressed sound, the drugs were still fresh in his system.

' _I want to go home._..'

He'd been cut open, his insides were clearly visible for him to see. There were people sticking their hands  _inside_  him, doing who knows what to him. He recognized the cuts to be the ones used for doing a vivisection. A wave of horror and disgust washed through him, he really was a lab rat. For one he wished that he hadn't regained a bit of consciousness and had been allowed to be blissfully unaware.

* * *

"So you understand the plan?" Shinichi asked, reading the blond's body language with sharp azures. It was vital that everyone stuck to the plan. They couldn't have Saguru becoming distressed and rushing around in an attempt to find Kaito. That was a surefire way for someone to get killed or even captured "I can't have you rushing in there to save Kuroba" He breathed "Doing so would endanger everyone, including Kuroba" He finished.

Saguru nodded, gaze clear "I understand" He agreed "I will not do anything that could possibly jeopardize the operation" He affirmed. No matter how much he wanted to, he wouldn't just run in there in an attempt to save Kaito. He wasn't an idiot.

' _I just hope that Kaito's in a good enough condition that there won't be any complications in retrieving him'_

Shinichi gave him one last hard gaze before nodding in acceptance "Good, you'll be on standby until the danger is clear. Then you can move in with the retrieval team" He breathed. Shinichi himself was part of the team meant for flushing the Crows out of the building. Saguru hadn't been allowed onto that team, it was too dangerous. Depending on Kaito's mental state, the blond may be required to help the magician recover. Kaito was too valuable to lose in the FBI's eyes, which also meant that Saguru to some extent, was also too valuable to lose.

' _I'm glad that Kaito got involved with the FBI. It would have been a lot harder to track him down without their help_ '

The brunette's team also wasn't meant to linger within the building, it was meant to join the chasing team right after flushing the Crows out. They had to chase, it was too risky to allow a member enough time to attempt to erase all of the evidence. They had to put enough pressure on them that the Crows had no choice but to flee. Though just in case, there were multiple firetrucks and ambulances on standby.

Saguru had become more content with his own role once Shinichi's had been explained to him. He was fine letting the other detective take the limelight if it meant that he got to see Kaito even a few minutes quicker. Some things were more important than chasing criminals. He'd wait, then rush in after receiving the signal. The other members of the team were meant to collect information and locate any civilians. Saguru's main goal was to find Kaito, and maybe take some information as well if the magician was in a good enough condition. If not, he was to bring Kaito to one of the many ambulances laying in wait. All of them have been stocked with at least a bag of Kaito's blood type, and there was also a surgeon on wait nearby. Kaito had been taken for experiments after all, and they weren't going to take any chances.

The magician's condition regarding his wings hadn't been kept a secret to the higher ups who'd been deemed trustworthy by Shinichi. It was a given that some people had to be told the reason why Kaito was believed to be alive instead of dead. That, and Kaito may not be conscious enough to hide his wings.

' _I hope that everything turns out okay._..'

* * *

Shinichi's team had been successful with how suddenly they'd swooped in from all directions. They hadn't tried to capture anyone until they've left the building , they'd only acted like they'd been trying. They hadn't wanted a dangerous fight to break out within the building. Shortly after the chase had started, Saguru and the rest of the retrieval team had been given the signal to proceed.

Saguru's blood was currently racing with adrenaline as he hurried through the corridors, he was so close to finding Kaito. He's already checked most of the current floor and only had a few more rooms to check before heading to the next floor. The blueprints were useless and he hadn't yet been sent Kaito's location via the security room meaning that the others were still working on cracking the code.

' _Kaito better be here and not at the other potential location_ '

He ran into the next room and froze, ice chilling his bones. He stood frozen for a few moments before rushing over towards the figure on an operating table "Kaito!" His voice broke when he reached Kaito's side, tears streaming down his face at the sight of his beloved magician all cut open. A small whine caught his attention as a sliver of indigo became visible before disappearing.

' _Dear god... He's conscious._..'


	72. Chapter 72

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written October 18 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad December 14 2019  
> Posted here February 7 2020

Someone was touching him, Kaito tried to move away from the oddly gentle touch. He'd been touched enough! He didn't really want to be touched anymore, in fact, he just wanted them to just leave him alone. Was that really too much to ask for? He was faintly aware of the sound of someone who may be crying, he wasn't really sure.

' _Why would one of the scientists be crying?_ '

First there had been steady murmurs as he vaguely felt someone prodding about his  _insides,_ a fact that still creeped him out on entirely new levels. Then there had been surprised yells quickly followed by rushed noises, shortly after that he'd been left in almost complete silence. The only noise present had been the workings of whatever machines he'd been hooked up to. Now though, someone was near him, and they were crying. Maybe the commotion was caused by one of the machines malfunctioning. Serves them right! It was weird though how the person wasn't doing anything painful to him, instead they kept a somewhat shaky grip on his right hand. He wanted to pull away still but his body still wasn't listening to him.

After an unknown amount of time later, he began to feel as if he should know whoever was both crying and talking to him. It couldn't have been the main scientist, that guy was a genuine bastard. He didn't get very far with those thoughts before he heard another person arrive. He felt the familiar pain of a needle poking into him before losing what little shreds of consciousness he'd been clinging on to.

* * *

Saguru grimaced as the little bits of tension within the magician slackened. He knew logically that it was best for Kaito to remain unconscious for now, but he still didn't like it. He glanced over at the surgeon who'd already begun sterilizing himself, he'd managed to call him in, once he'd gotten over his shock and surprise. They couldn't move Kaito when he was all cut open, who knows what possible contaminants would have latched onto the magician during transport. No, Kaito needed to be worked on now, or at the very least stitched up.

' _He looks so pale._..'

The blond knew that Kaito's paleness most likely wasn't caused from blood loss, the evidence was right beside the magician. Multiple blood bags were hooked up to the teen in an attempt to compensate for his blood loss. No, his paleness was due to Kaito's extended time in captivity. He'd been held captive for way too long.

He gave the surgeon a small nod as he stepped away from Kaito to give the doctor enough room to work with "Please do what you can for him" He pleaded before moving into an adjacent room. He didn't want to see Kaito like that anymore, it was scary and he didn't like it. Saguru mainly worked theft and the rare murder, but this was  _Kaito_. He couldn't distance himself like he normally could.

* * *

They couldn't go to a hospital, not until Kaito regained enough consciousness to hide his wings. So instead the sedated magician had been secretly moved into one of the FBI's now not so secret bunkers. After this operation ended they wouldn't be able to use this specific bunker again, not when they were planning on bringing in some people to visit the magician. It had initially surprised Saguru that the FBI would throw away a lot of money for this, secret bunkers were  _not_ cheap after all. That was until one of the agents waved him off, stating that having Kaitou Kid owe them was worth the money lost.

' _It still amazes me that he has so many police connections_...'

"Are you really sure that doing this is a good idea?" Saguru glanced over at Shinichi who had taken a seat next to him "Shouldn't Kuroba choose whether or not they get to know?" Shinichi continued. The teen had a bandage wrapped around his head and a single crutch at his side courtesy of a sprained ankle. Overall Shinichi was in good health.

The blond shook his head "No, Kaito will need the support of people who know about what happened to him" So that they could better understand his actions "They won't be told about his identity as Kid" He breathed, that was something only Kaito could tell "But they need to know why he was kidnapped" Gold met azure "I'm quite confident that Kaito won't be rejected and it would make no sense otherwise for him to be kidnapped and experimented on" He finished.

' _The Nakamoris are good people_ '

Shinichi nodded, still looking a little unsure "How will his wings be explained?" He wanted to get the cover story down perfectly.

A fond smile graced Saguru's lips as he glanced at the unconscious magician "Kaito gets into all kinds or weird things" His gaze softened "I'm pretty sure that we can just claim that nobody knows, but we figure that he probably ticked off someone with magical powers"

' _Magic can easily be believed due to the existence of Kaito's wings and healing abilities_ '

The eastern detective smirked at the other's words "That's very believable" He looked at Kaito with a mixture of exasperation and fondness "He has a special talent for pissing people off" As both his moonlight persona and his civilian persona, Kaito always had a way to mess with someone whenever he wanted to.

"Indeed" The blond agreed.

* * *

A calmness washed over Akako as she looked into her magical mirror, Lucifer had just informed her that a certain dove had been freed. She glanced over at her clock and sighed, it was too late to wake up Aoko and bring her to the magician's side. A small smirk tugged at her lips.

' _It seems like Kuroba-kun will at least have the night to settle before being subjected to Aoko's tears and questions_ '

She was content to wait out the night, Lucifer had told her that Kaito was in safe hands and she couldn't visit Kaito without Aoko. It would hurt Aoko immensely if she were to be left behind.


	73. Chapter 73

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written October 19 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad December 16 2019  
> Posted here February 9 2020

When Kaito awoke, he kept his eyes closed. He actually felt mostly clear headed for once, yet it didn't feel like he was back in that horrible white room. Had the scientists made a mistake with the dosage? It seemed odd that they would do so after all the time he'd been with them. Though, he himself didn't even know how long that actually was. He could smell antiseptic and could hear the achingly familiar low humming of the medical equipment around him. He could also hear the breathing of somebody close by his side. He attempted to move his fingers and was pleasantly surprised to find that they moved with ease. He wasn't drugged with that stupid numbing stuff, or at least not drugged enough to prevent him from moving.

' _There's only one of them, maybe I can stun them and make a run for it_ '

He took in a slow and steady breath as he braced himself. A second later he flipped off of the bed, flared his wings,  and roundhouse kicked the person wherever before bolting through the visible door. He didn't really bother in wasting time to even check if he'd properly stunned the person or not. He just bolted.

' _That seemed a little too easy._..'

He ignored his suspicions in favour of stealthily running through the halls. Freedom first, then think. The assault of varied colours within his sight was very jarring, having been surrounded by white for so long the reds and other colours were popping out at him. It was overwhelming. His breath quickened, heartbeat thudding loudly in his ears as he paused at a diverging route. There were three possible directions to go and he didn't really know which way to go. He heard footsteps and shouting coming up behind him and darted down the hallway to the left, not really paying any mind to the speaker. He was  _not_  going to let himself be drugged anymore.

' _Which way is out? I need to hurry before the person alerts others of my escape_...'

The flurry of colours was so disorienting that he somehow ran into someone despite the fact that hallway was straight. He flinched back at the other's startled yelp before baring his teeth and flaring his wings, he didn't have any of his tools so intimidation would have to do. He swiftly bolted after that.

* * *

"Kaito?!" Aoko cried out in shock at her best friend's actions, she sat on her place on the floor stunned. She'd never seen him act like that before, let alone never would have thought that he wouldn't even recognize her.

' _That look in his eyes... Kaito looked so scared_...'

She'd seen his sleeping form earlier that morning, so his appearance hadn't been that much of a shock to her. It was mainly his actions that had shocked her "Nakamori-san, are you okay?!" Aoko glanced over to see Saguru coming from the same direction that Kaito had. The blond's nose was bloody.

"Aoko is fine, just startled..." She replied, Saguru nodded before quickly bolting off.

* * *

Seeing Kaito's reaction to Aoko had been startling, especially with how feral the magician had looked at that moment. Though he was greatly relieved that Kaito hadn't actually attacked like he had him. He didn't really blame the magician though, he should have been more careful with how he approached Kaito at first. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes as he picked up the pace.

' _I can only imagine what other horrible things have been done to Kaito to make him act out like this_...'

The only good thing was that Kaito wasn't as fast as he was before being kidnapped, he was still fast, just not as fast.

* * *

Paranoia was now tugging at him as he kept on taking different turns, shouldn't more people have already joined the chase by now? He blinked, shaking his head. The colours kept on snatching up his attention. He'd already almost been caught once, though thankfully his intimidation seemed to have worked. Only the first person was still on his tail.

' _Why are there so many hallways?! And why do they all look so similar_?!' 

He was feeling very, very lost at the moment. With no blueprints or prior knowledge of the building, he felt as if he were a rat trapped within a maze. He morbidly wondered if that was exactly what was happening, were the scientists testing his agility now or something? A small whine escaped from the back of his throat as he sped around a corner. Only to run into another person once again, though this time he was the only one to fall.

' _Shit!_ '

The other person recovered more quickly than he had, Kaito let out a dark hiss from his crouched position on the ground. He went to bolt away but a pressure on his neck yanked him back. He blinked dumbly, momentarily stunned. He hadn't realized that he was wearing clothes. By the time he recovered, the other person had managed to pull him back and pin him against their larger frame. The magician hissed and spat in warning as he struggled, the scientists had never bothered listening to what few words he'd been able to force out. Though they did usually respond to hisses and growls. His vocal chords were also too out of use to be able to speak properly now anyways.

When the other made no move to release him, instead pulling him closer and muttering words Kaito decided that he'd given enough warnings. He began biting and clawing at the main arm restraining him, his own strength not good enough to free himself from the strong hold. Though oddly it wasn't a painful hold.

' _Why aren't they letting go of me?_!'

He could taste blood in his mouth, normally a person would release something harming them. Why wasn't this person doing just that?! He felt a hand gently card through his hair as the soft murmurs continued, eliciting out a soft whine from Kaito. He didn't want to be touched anymore! He just wanted to be free from this horrible place! Tears freely began to fall down his face as he continued his struggles.


	74. Chapter 74

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written October 21 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad December 21 2019  
> Posted here February 10 2020

Ginzo felt his eyes burn as he continued to restrain Kaito against himself, the other option of the floor didn't really seem like a good idea. It wasn't the pain from the magician's frantic assault on his arms that was making his eyes burn, it was more from the pain in his heart at seeing his pseudo son like this. Yes his arms were all bloodied and seriously hurt, but seeing Kaito like this hurt more. Just what had those fucking scientists done to him?! He continued to murmur soft words of encouragement as he carded his fingers through the struggling teen's hair, he needed to calm Kaito down before he became too stressed, he could already feel a faint heat radiating from Kaito. He was thankful that he'd been briefed on the subject before the magician had woken up.

' _Kaito-kun_...'

* * *

After spending an unknown amount of time struggling, Kaito was confused. The others had caught up to him but he hadn't been drugged up yet, why were they letting him attack one of their own? It just didn't make sense, why hadn't they retaliated instead of attempting to calm him down? The thudding of his own heartbeat within his ears began to lesson, allowing the surrounding sounds to start becoming a little more clear to him. He paused mid-bite.

' _That voice._..'

The voice murmuring softly was one he vaguely recognized, it belonged to someone he trusted. He made a soft noise of confusion in the back of his throat, where were the scientists? He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to forcibly calm himself as he sent a few sparks of healing magic throughout himself. Hopefully that would fix his vision and hearing problems, the magic gave a slight soothing sensation after all.

' _Keibu._..'

He leaned into the hug, a different sort of tears falling from his eyes than before as he listened to Ginzo's soothing reassurances. A few moments later the inspector's words paused for a moment before continuing "Are you finally with us?" Ginzo asked softly, Kaito's hands were clutching his shirt as he sobbed into it, wetting the material.

' _If Nakamori-keibu is here... That means that I'm safe._..'

The magician nodded into Ginzo's chest, still sobbing, though a little less than before. He pulled away to look at the inspector with tear filled blurry vision. He wanted to make sure that he wasn't hearing things. He brought up an arm to wipe away his tears, clearing his vision. When he was met with the sight of Ginzo's face he almost burst out in another wave of tears. He was real. Safe. Ginzo let out a relieved breath, giving Kaito a grin as he ruffled the magician's hair. He was relieved that the heat had stopped radiating from the other "Almost everything involving you is crazy" He huffed fondly in exasperation. So that crazy cultist hadn't been lying after all.

Kaito blinked before glancing away, for once he was embarrassed about his knack for getting into crazy situations "Sorry..." He breathed, his voice very rough from lack of use, noting that both Saguru and Aoko were nearby. He then grimaced when he noted that the blond had a newly bloodied nose.

' _Did I do that?_ '

Seeing the flash of guilt within the magician's gaze, Saguru offered a small smile as he slowly walked over and crouched next to him "It's fine" He replied softly "You were confused right?" He inquired with a knowing look, feeling pleased when the younger nodded.

"Thought" Kaito winced, okay, ow. Talking kinda hurt, maybe he'll just say key words "Mistake, take chance, escape" He coughed a few times after getting out the words, rubbing his throat. Maybe his magic hadn't really fixed that because it wasn't damaged or infected with sickness, it was just out of use. He sent a different thrum of magic at his throat to both softly stimulate it and ease any pain from it being stimulated. Hopefully that would do the trick.

' _It's a little odd that Aoko is just being silent_ '

Saguru nodded, the magician's actions made sense, especially since Kaito had also been panicked and desperate at the time "Then you aren't to blame" He assured "You wouldn't normally use that sort of violence an anyone so it's fine"

Indigo softened as he brought up his hand to Saguru's face and healed the damage he'd both intentionally and unintentionally done "Let's call this payback from before" He gave a small laugh as he remembered their time in the mountains. The blood on his own hands and the metallic tang in his mouth suddenly caught his attention. He visibly paled as he recalled his actions, horrified indigo whipped towards the inspector's arms. They were really bloody. He'd really been trying to cause as much damage as he could "-God!" He choked out, only the last bits of his exclamation being audible.

' _I can't believe that I did that to him... And he's still bleeding a fair amount_...'

Ginzo, after seeing the magician's previous display of healing offered his arms, he knew that Kaito hadn't meant to hurt  _him_. Someone else? Yes. Him? No "It's fine" He replied softly, giving his daughter a confused glance. Why was she just hanging back? Kaito swiftly sent a soft white light over Ginzo's injuries until nothing but a few scars and some blood he'd previously spilt remained "Nothing that couldn't have been easily fixed" He stated.

Still feeling ashamed, Kaito nodded. He wasn't really up for an argument just yet. Saguru frowned, giving the magician a gentle bop on the head, Kaito was being stupid again "We should get you back to your room so that you can rest a bit more" He breathed, hopefully the other would rest better now that he knew that he was safe "You don't need to explain anything" He assured "Kudo-kun and I have already done so and we have the Crow's data to tell us the rest" He didn't want to put any pressure on Kaito, the magician still seemed a little out of it. He smiled "Though we will listen whenever you want to talk" He promised.


	75. Chapter 75

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written October 24 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad December 23 2019  
> Posted here February 14 2020

Kaito responded with a small, but thankful smile. He didn't really want to talk about what had happened just yet, despite how he really didn't remember much in the first place. It was both a comforting and scary thought. He wouldn't have as many memories of his captivity to haunt him, yet he also sort of wondered about everything that had been done to him. Those speculations alone were enough to make him nauseous.

' _I was unconscious and at their mercy for who knows how long... And most of the evidence has probably healed so I might never know what truly happened to me_...'

"Whoa easy there..." Ginzo softly breathed, Kaito blinked in surprise when he felt Ginzo separated his arms. He hadn't noticed that he'd been digging his nails into his own arm. He swallowed uneasily, why did he keep doing things without meaning to? The inspector frowned at how lost in thought Kaito suddenly seemed to be "Let's get you back to your room for some rest, okay?" He inquired, wanting to make it seem like the other had a choice.

Kaito nodded once more, allowing both Ginzo and Saguru to help him to his feet. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, he felt a little shaky "Are you okay to walk?" Saguru asked gently, keeping a steadying hold on Kaito's left arm while the inspector did the same with the right. The magician let out a hum of affirmation, he wasn't going to speak unless he had to or it didn't hurt. 

* * *

By the time they had made it back to Kaito's room, a thin sheen of sweat had covered the magician. He panted, feeling nauseous while he leaned heavily on Ginzo. He'd started out walking shakily but fine, but after a few minutes he'd had to give in and lean on the stronger of his helpers. When they'd started to follow him in, Kaito paused, shaking his head. He was sick of people watching him while he was asleep "No, want, alone" He choked out.

' _Why would Kaito want to be alone_?  _Wouldn't it make more sense for him to want company_?'

Saguru gave a frown, Kaito didn't really look too good "We'll be sure to be quiet" He offered, maybe the magician just wanted to make sure that he got some good sleep.

Kaito shook his head, haunted indigo meeting gold "Always watched, sleep" He gave a small pained grimace before continuing "Want, alone, for once" He was sick and tired of people being around while he was unconscious, unable to do anything. He knew that he was safe with them, but he still wanted to be alone "Always touched... Want alone" His voice broke a little as tears picked at his eyes "Please" He rubbed at his eyes, why was he crying? He wasn't sad or scared. It just didn't make sense to him.

' _Kaito._..'

Saguru sighed, unable to argue with the teary magician "Very well" He removed his hands from the younger's arm "We will stay out here" Gold softened at Kaito, the teen was trembling though he didn't know if it was from exhaustion or something else "All you need to do is call and we'll come right in" He soothed, Kaito probably hadn't had any relaxed time alone while captured. Company was good, but sometimes people just needed to be alone for a bit as well. Kaito sagged in relief against the door frame, giving Saguru a weary smile before closing the door.

"Why'd you let him go in there all alone?!" Ginzo softly hissed, doing his best to not get heard through the door. He didn't want to further upset Kaito "Kaito-kun isn't well, he needs us by his side!" He finished with a growl. Wasn't Saguru supposed to care about Kaito?

' _I can see why he is upset_ ' 

"I understand your arguments, but I believe that Kaito should be given some time alone" He breathed "Yes he needs us, but he also needs some time to pull himself back together" He glanced sadly at the door, Kaito was so close, yet he'd promised to give the teen some privacy. He turned back to meet Ginzo's gaze "Kaito was most likely watched 24/7..." His voice wavered "He also was without any clothes during that time" His eyes burned "For someone like Kaito, who likes his space..." He clenched his fists "Don't you think that he deserves to be given privacy after specifically stating that he wants it?" He breathed, leaning against the wall, allowing gravity to slide him to the ground "I want to be in there with him, I love him" He buried his face in his hands "But it's what Kaito needs right now so I'll stay out" He tiredly finished.

' _I let my emotions get ahead of myself_...'

* * *

Ginzo looked at the crouched teen and sighed, all of his anger bleeding away "You're right" He amended, crouching down next to the blond "How are  _you_  doing?" He asked, Saguru had been the closest to Kaito when the magician had been taken, and had also been the one to find him.

' _Didn't his caretaker die and his house burn down at the same time as well?_ '

Saguru's hands dropped down to rest in his lap "I'll be fine when I can be with Kaito" He admitted, these last few months had been tiring. He just wanted to be next to the magician and trick himself into believing that everything was okay even though it isn't.

The inspector gave the blond a reassuring pat on the shoulder "At least Kaito-kun is safe here" He stated gently, he was pleased when Saguru nodded in agreement.

"That is one load off of my mind at least" Gold darkened, he'd already gone through a bit of the retrieved data, it scared him.

Ginzo finally glanced over towards his daughter who'd been unusually silent this whole time "Why didn't you speak with Kaito-kun?" Kaito and Aoko had been friends for so long, so why hadn't she taken the chance to speak with him after all this time?


	76. Chapter 76

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written October 24 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad December 28 2019  
> Posted here February 15 2020

Aoko lowered her gaze as both her father and Saguru turned their attention towards her "I was afraid that I'd yell at Kaito for worrying me if I tried to speak to him" She admitted softly. Yelling at Kaito was something that she did often, so much so that it was almost a reflex to just yell at him when she was upset. Her eyes burned as she remembered the magician's fear and odd reactions, that vulnerability was something that she'd never thought that she'd ever associate with her childhood friend "Kaito doesn't need that" She added softly. She was only now realising how violent she could be towards him.

' _When I saw him, I almost hit him due to the worry he's caused me_...'

"Oh sweetie" The inspector quickly stood up and gave his daughter a reassuring hug "I'm sure you would have been able to calm yourself before startling Kaito-kun too badly" He himself knew how easily it was to lose one's temper, Aoko had gotten her temper from him. He released her and have her a small grin "Maybe your yelling could have made him see sense sooner" She'd yelled at Kaito enough that the idea was plausible.

' _Dad didn't mean to, but he made it worse_...'

Spotting Aoko's frown, Saguru decided to jump in before the inspector accidentally worsened things even more "It's true" Gold softened "Kaito does his best to make you yell at him, he's really weird like that" He stated "So it's not your fault for always yelling at him" Yelling was fine since the magician more often than not deserved it.

* * *

Shinichi covered his mouth in both horror and disgust as he went through the retrieved data. What they'd done to Kaito, what they'd been trying to do to him, was  _sick_. He was thankful that Kaito's odd luck had decided to kick in so that he hadn't been successfully bred. It was disgusting to think that those people had been trying to breed the magician. Though one good point was that they'd been trying to do it artificially instead of manually. Kaito hadn't been raped, just molested and violated. It didn't matter that the actions had been clinical, they'd touched Kaito with neither his consent nor concern for the magician's well being. It still at the very least counted as violating the magician.

' _I am thankful that he'd been unconscious during most of it... Nobody deserves that, annoying magician or not_...'

He'd been sorting through data, separating the files into categories based on how horrible the information within was. The scientists had after all, collected a lot of information on Kaito regarding his body. Some of which was nice to know. It still didn't excuse the means of obtaining it however.

The fact that the magician was apparently unable to sire any children was good to know, though since he was apparently with Saguru, it may not even matter. Though it did spare him from random girls claiming that their children were Kaito's, that happened occasionally to famous people. A small smile played on Shinichi's lips, he had no doubt that Kaito will probably become famous as himself in the future. The guy could a narcissist when he wanted to be.

It was also interesting that Kaito now apparently laid an egg every few weeks, ones that could be fertilized by human males. It gave Kaito and Saguru the potential to have a family together. Other than that there wasn't really much else that really mattered that he'd noticed yet.

' _I should inform Kuroba that if he feels any abdominal pain that he probably isn't dying_ '

The eggs had been pretty big, even unfertilized. So now that Kaito wasn't going to be all drugged up, the process would probably hurt a fair bit. Shinichi grimaced, from the location stated within the documents, the eggs may actually squish the magician's sensitive bits on exit. He wasn't sure since he hadn't wanted to watch one of the many attached videos. If it was true, then ouch, he did  _not_  envy Kaito.

He leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head as he let out a sigh. He wondered if Kaito was awake and if said magician was in good enough condition to heal him. Having a sprain was annoying.

* * *

Shinichi raised a brow as he leaned against his crutch "Why are all of you guys out here instead of with Kuroba?" He inquired, especially Saguru. The blond had rarely even left the magician once he'd been recovered. It was odd.

' _Something must have happened_ '

"Kaito woke up confused and ran away" Saguru stated "Thankfully we managed to catch up and snap him out of it and now..." He paused "Kaito wanted to be alone for a bit" Shinichi nodded, completely understanding why the magician had wanted to be alone.

"Based on what I've read so far of the data" He grimaced "I really don't blame Kuroba for wanting to be alone" He paused for a moment in thought, he really shouldn't tell them the details without permission "Just be careful with touches until he's more settled okay?" Azure softened with sympathy "He's been poked and prodded at enough times to last a lifetime" It was the truth, but not exactly why he'd advised them to be careful with touching Kaito.

' _Hopefully touch hasn't been completely ruined for Kuroba, that idiot had always been the clingy kind of person_ '

Gold darkened as Saguru remembered Kaito's words about not wanting to be touched "I understand... Thank you" He replied softly. He wanted to ask about what Shinichi had discovered but refrained from doing so, the sleuth had already told him that he'd need Kaito's permission to be told anything. The only reason that Shinichi had went through the data instead of himself was because the eastern detective's relationship with the magician was different than his own. The two had an intentional distance placed between them.

Shinichi nodded, pleased. He then glanced at the door "I'll check on him since I haven't promised anything" He was fine with potentially angering the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just posted the final chappy on wattpad~
> 
> I'm going to stick with once a week here until I have enough of my newest story posted there~ Then once I can post that here, I'll spam the rest of this~


	77. Chapter 77

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written October 25 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad December 30 2019  
> Posted here February 21 2020

The audible sound of footsteps approaching snapped Kaito out of the half daze that he'd been in. He hadn't really been sleeping despite how tired he felt, he'd tried to sleep, but his body just wasn't having it. So instead his body had compromised with allowing him to stare blankly without any thoughts at the ceiling, not really seeing anything nor thinking of anything.

' _I thought that they were going to leave me alone_ '

He rolled over onto his side, facing away from where the footsteps had stopped near his bed. He curled up in defiance, his wings covering him safely to show that he didn't want to talk to whoever had disturbed his rest.

Shinichi shook his head in exasperation at the magician's antics, they were childish "There are a few things that I need to tell you Kuroba" He stated, observing the other's posture. It was a little surprising that Kaito hadn't put his wings away yet. Weren't they the cause of his current dilemma?

' _Gah, I don't want to deal with Kudo right now_ '

Kaito let out a soft sigh, indigos narrowing as he sat himself up, he knew that the sleuth wouldn't be bothering him if it wasn't important. Though that still didn't mean that he liked it. He sent an additional jolt of magic towards his throat before deciding that he may as well trey to speak "And that is?" He inquired, pleased when only a faint jab of pain was present. Soon there would be no pain when he spoke.

Azure eyes softened a bit as Shinichi took a seat in one of the many chairs near the bed "I went through the files regarding you" He stated, not wanting to beat around the bush "I know what happened to you so you don't have to censor things" The magician was a kind person, he'd probably would have hidden things to protect other's feelings. He wanted Kaito to know that he didn't have to do that, that he could speak openly with him if he wished to.

' _So he knows what happened... Should I ask_?'

Conflicted indigos observed the other, he really wanted to know, but at the same time he didn't "I don't really remember that much" He replied softly, hands clenching lightly at the bed sheets. Shinichi was smart enough to know what to do with that little bit of information.

Shinichi nodded, he'd had a vague suspicion that'd be the case, the amount of drugs that were being pumped into Kaito during that time was alarming. He could already see the signs of sedative withdrawal showing. Kaito was sweating a fair amount, his body was faintly trembling and he hadn't been sleeping. He also may have had a small bout of delirium after waking up, though on that he wasn't sure. He'd seen traces of blood on both the inspector and Saguru, though he'd need to ask for more details later "I had guessed that might be the case" Shinichi breathed "I came to tell you some of the important findings about what those people had done to you" He replied, Kaito had the right to know about his own body and he'd only tell more if the magician asked. There was no need to further burden Kaito more than necessary.

' _So some things were discovered_?'

Kaito swallowed a little roughly, the action surprising even himself "Please tell me" His voice was soft as he lowered his gaze towards the bed. His fingers tightened their grip on the sheets.

The sleuth frowned at the docile action before making his face go neutral "Well..." He winced at the pathetic start, he coughed and tried again. He didn't really know how to explain it well so he'd just stick with the facts "You are impotent" He stated, deciding to get the least awkward information out of the way first.

Indigos widened, a bright blush dusting the younger's cheeks at the information "Why were they even looking into my biology in that way?!" He spluttered, a small shiver running down his spine. That meant that the scientists had collected his sperm, he buried his face into his hands, thoroughly mortified.

' _That's just... I don't know how to think or feel about that._..'

Shinichi pursed his lips, looking uneasy on the magician's part "They're scientists, you were considered a new species..." His words trailed off "They wanted to breed you to make more of you" He finished.

"Breed me?!" Kaito now looked visibly nauseous, Shinichi didn't blame him, he felt the same. Panicked indigos met azure "But they failed right? You said that I was impotent" He was too young to think about kids, especially ones that he didn't even consent to.

' _So I really was just an animal to them._..'

The sleuth nodded "You have no offspring, but..." He winced "They gave you some hormones to kick start your systems into producing eggs" He ignored Kaito's horrified gasp and carried on "With that information they began new breeding attempts with artificially inseminating you" He gave Kaito a concerned glance, the magician was breathing too quickly "They failed, okay, they failed" He soothed, risking bringing Kaito closer to give him a hug "It was only done artificially" He pressed, knowing that even then it was still horrible.

Kaito leaned into the touch, it wasn't impersonal and forced on him like the scientists. This touch was instead comforting. A low whine escape from him as he latched on, he could feel his body shaking, but he didn't know the cause. Those people had  _touched_  him multiple times, and he hadn't even noticed it. He felt all gross all of a sudden. He wanted a shower.

' _How could people even do something like that?! I don't understand._..'

It felt really weird holding the sobbing magician like this but he didn't push him away "That's mainly all you needed to know besides them cutting into you and drugging you" Shinichi murmured.

The magician nodded into the other's shoulder "I-" He stuttered a bit "Is there a place I can shower?" He wanted to be clean, he also wanted to be the one to clean himself for once.


	78. Chapter 78

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written October 27 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad January 4 2020  
> Posted here February 28 2020

Shinichi nodded, motioning towards a door on the opposite side of the room "It's right through there" He replied, despite the fact that the magician had been cleaned after his rescue. He figured that Kaito probably wanted it due to his emotions and sweat "While you're in the shower would you like for me to send Hakuba-kun in here to wait for you?" The blond would be better with soothing the magician than he ever would.

Kaito's cheeks tinted a faint dust of pink, a little embarrassed that he was being treated as if he were fragile "I would like that" He bit his lip "I miss him" Before had been too hectic for it to truly register to him that Saguru was actually nearby. He felt kinda bad for sending him away earlier.

' _I keep being stupid._..'

Azure softened at the response "Good, he looked really upset that he couldn't be with you" Shinichi replied as he gripped his crutch to brace himself for getting up.

Indigos widened as the magician suddenly noticed the other's injury. What was wrong with him? He just keeps on missing things or messing up lately "Wait, let me heal you first" Kaito stated, a soft white glow covering his hand.

' _How could I not notice that Kudo was injured? He probably hurt himself during my rescue_...'

"Thank you" Shinichi breathed in relief as he felt the glowing hand make contact. He hadn't initially asked since he'd figured that Kaito would have attempted to immediately heal him, it was a little concerning that it had taken so long for Kaito to notice his injury. Normally the magician was quite observant regarding other's health.

"It's fine" The magician breathed "I feel a lot closer to my magic than ever before" He wondered if it was because his body had been forced to heal itself countless times or if it had something to do with time. Either way, it was nice to be able to actually help people again.

Azure narrowed before the sleuth nodded "Have a nice shower" He stated before getting up and walking out the door.

Kaito glanced at the door for a few moments before getting up, he needed to get in the shower before he saw Saguru. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to leave the blond to take a shower so he needed to start said shower before seeing him.

' _I just want to curl up next to him and talk_ '

With a plan in mind, the magician stumbled over towards the bathroom, letting out a relieved breath when he closed the door behind him. Indigos lit up at the sight of the tub, it was quite large. Maybe he'll take a short soak after his shower. A small smile played on his lips at the thought, when was the last time that he'd willingly taken a bath? After a few moments he blushed when his brain supplied the answer to be at the onsen with Saguru. That had been an interesting experience.

He quickly shimmied out of both his tan sweatpants and boxers, only to pause after he removed his cream coloured shirt. He'd caught his reflection in the mirror and it had startled him with how different he looked. He moved closer to the mirror to get a better look at himself, his skin was horribly pale, his hair was more shaggy than usual and dark circles hung under his eyes- no eye. He'd forgotten that his false eye had been removed, he hadn't even noticed that it was still gone. He nervously bit his lip as he felt around the tear stained bandages, he should probably remove them right? It wasn't like there was an actual injury for them to protect. They'd probably make a mess in the shower anyways. But, he was scared to.

' _I haven't seen myself without my false eye since getting it, even then it was kept it covered._..'

He closed his right eye beneath the bandages and took in a breath to steady himself, after a moment he began to shakily undo the bandages. He let out a squeak of surprise at his face, the scars stood out a good amount against his newly pale skin. Though after he regained his normal skin tone, the scars wouldn't actually look as bad as he'd feared. Saguru's sense of style had been correct oddly enough. A small relieved smile tugged at his lips at the thought, once he got a new false eye, he'd more or less look fine.

Kaito then switched his attention towards his chest, there were his old scars, and so many new ones as well. His whole torso was littered with countless scars varying on multiple sizes, though the most prominent ones were left as evidence that someone had performed a vivisection on him. His stomach churned at the memory of one of the scientists putting their hands inside of him. Goosebumps littered his skin as a shiver ran down his spine, he uneasily rubbed his arms in an attempt to get rid of them. He bit his lip as he took in a steadying breath before glancing down past his stomach, there weren't really that many new marks, the main one was still the brand on his right hip bone. He was both relieved and a little unsettled at that.

' _If they were attempting to... Breed me... Shouldn't there be more evidence that they've focused on that_?'

The familiar tang of blood filled his mouth, startling the magician. He'd accidentally bitten through his lip. He swiped his tongue over the wound to clear the blood away before healing it. He really needed to pay more attention to his actions. He climbed up onto the sink and turned around so that his back faced the mirror, craning his neck back to see if there were other injuries that he'd missed. He wasn't really up for the crazy bending that he'd usually do to check his back, so crouching in front of a mirror would have to suffice. It looked silly but at least it worked.


	79. Chapter 79

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written October 27 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad January 6 2020  
> Posted here March 6 2020

After checking himself out for a few minutes, Kaito had discovered the extra hole that he was pretty sure wasn't there before. The discovery had creeped him out enough that he'd decided that he should go ahead and get in the shower already, the hole's existence meant that he couldn't deny that he could've been bred before being rescued. The only thing that had stopped him from breaking down was the fact that there'd been no cuts around the area, which meant it wasn't added by the scientists. He took in a calming breath as he made his wings vanish and sat down under the warm spray, Shinichi had told him that the scientists had failed, it was fine.

' _I'm so lucky... What would have happened if they had succeeded? I wouldn't be the only one, so maybe I'd have become more expendable_?'

Kaito shivered despite the water's warmth, he was under no illusion that he'd been treated the worst. Just from his own observations, he could tell that the scientists had gone really easy on him. That was the scary part. If he was like this after the scientists had gone easy on him, how would he have turned out if he'd been expendable? The magician shook his head to clear his thoughts, he didn't really want to think about it.

' _I should start cleaning myself_...'

He grabbed the soap and began lathering it, it's familiar scent was comforting. It seems like someone had stocked the bathroom with his preferred hygiene items, for that he was grateful. It was nice to be surrounded by familiar scents instead of antiseptic. The previous room had a faint odour of antiseptic, but it hadn't been as strong as it had been when he'd been captured. The shampoo had also felt good, it had been nice to clean himself, so by the time he'd finished his shower, he was feeling a lot better than before.

Kaito turned off the water and stepped out of the shower onto the soft bathmat, he reached over and grabbed a fluffy blue towel from the counter. A small laugh escaped his lips when he'd noticed the Kid insignia stitched into the bottom left of it, this was his towel! It'd been snatched from his house, he could tell since it had a faint pink smudge from when he'd messed up a prank. He could feel tears well up, shit he was feeling weepy now, why were small details like this affecting him so much? It was just a towel. He burred his face in the towel for a few moments before he finished drying himself off and putting on some black sweatpants and a teat t-shirt, both of which belonged to him. Kaito cast a nervous glance towards the door.

' _Why do I feel so nervous? It's just Saguru_...'

The magician silently crept towards the door, slowly opening it a crack before peeking through it. His heart fluttered, it really was Saguru, he was sitting down on the bed reading a book! He made to jump at the blond but faltered for some reason, instead he settled for silently walking over towards Saguru "I missed you" He breathed softly as he sat next to him, eyes teary.

* * *

He'd noticed when Kaito had peeked out of the bathroom, but had refrained from acknowledging it, the magician had looked so jumpy that he hadn't wanted to startle him. He placed the book down to meet the other's gaze, opening his arms as an offering of a hug "I missed you too" He breathed, having Kaito beside him still felt surreal.

' _I can't believe that Kaito's back._..'

The magician paused for half a second before flinging himself into the blond's arms "I was so scared" He'd been so helpless, unable to do anything to plan his own escape. Normally he didn't like admitting his weaknesses but this was  _Saguru_  and, he needed to vent a bit "I couldn't do anything" Kaito choked out, he couldn't have fed himself, bathe himself, hell, he didn't even remember going to the washroom even once while captured.

Gold softened at how broken Kaito had sounded, the poor magician was trembling so much that it wasn't even funny "I'm sorry that it had taken so long to find and rescue you" Saguru whispered, wiping away Kaito's tears "I could barely do anything to help you" He admitted. He hadn't had the right connections to get anything done "Kudo-kun did the majority of the planning"

' _Without Kudo-kun's help... Kaito would most likely be still in the Crow's grasp_ '

Kaito let out a watery laugh "It's kinda hard to track down the Crows without connections" He didn't care that the blond hadn't contributed much, all that mattered to him was that Saguru had done his best "It's hard to compete with all of Kudo's connections"

Saguru held the brunette closer, savouring the warmth of the other "I didn't care about the Crows" He placed a chaste kiss onto Kaito's cheek "I just wanted to get you back" Gold met indigo with complete adoration "Life just didn't feel the same without you Kaito" It had felt empty.

' _He makes everything so much more vibrant_ '

The magician felt himself flush, his face going way too warm to be normal "I'm sorry for worrying you" He knew that it really wasn't his fault, but it didn't change the fact that he'd worried the blond "I promise that I'll take things easy for a bit"

Gold studied indigo for a moment, searching for any self-blame, when he found none he nodded in satisfaction "Good" He gently caressed the other's face, a fond look in his eyes "I don't think that I'd be able to handle you disappearing so soon" He wasn't even sure that he'd be able to leave Kaito for a while so soon after reconnecting with him. Hopefully Kaito would agree to sharing a room with him.

' _I don't want to lose him again_ '

Kaito leaned into the touch, it was much better coming from Saguru than anyone else "How has Baaya been?" He inquired, a little worried that the kind woman would blame herself. He didn't blame her, she'd been trapped and desperate to protect Saguru.


	80. Chapter 80

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written October 27 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad January 11 2020  
> Posted here March 7 2020

Kaito frowned when he felt the blond tense at his words, concern filled him. Had something happened to Baaya? "Hey, Saguru?" His voice was soft as he continued "What happened?" Something had to be wrong for the blond to act that way.

 _'I have a really bad feeling._..'

Saguru closed his eyes, lowering his head so that it was resting against Kaito's shoulder "Baaya she..." He swallowed, tears pricking at his eyes. He'd been trying not to think about it too much "She was killed by the people who captured you" His voice was barely audible near the end.

' _Shit, I'd been hoping that Baaya's support was what had kept him strong_ '

The magician allowed his own tears to fall at the thought, Saguru hadn't had much support himself "She was really awesome" Kaito breathed, it was the truth. Saying that he was sorry wouldn't have changed anything, so he'd decided to praise her life instead. It was better to bring in positives to horrible situations than to make them worse.

' _Saguru doesn't need to know that she traded me for his safety, or that I allowed her to. Baaya was awesome enough that she should be remembered by her good deeds instead_ '

A faint, but weak smile tugged at the blond's lips "Yeah" His voice cracked "She really was the best" Baaya had helped him out so many times throughout his life that he was pretty sure that he'd be a different person without her influence. She was the one who'd given him the push needed to actually get close to and befriend Kaito.

Kaito wrapped his arms around the other's neck and used his weight to knock Saguru over so that they were laying down on the bed together "I know how you feel, losing a parent hurts" Baaya was a parent to Saguru in everything but blood "Having someone to hug helps with the pain" He'd had Aoko when his father had died, but he wasn't sure if Saguru had anyone while he was captured.

' _Saguru probably holed himself up all alone_ '

Saguru gave Kaito a teary smile "And I thought that I was supposed to be the one comforting  _you_ " He breathed, allowing the magician to snuggle up against him.

"Knowing you, you've probably been holding it in all this time" Kaito chuckled, nuzzling the blond's neck "Don't worry, soon you're going to have to let me cry to you" Saguru needed this right now, he could hold in his pain for a little longer. He was a master at it.

* * *

Saguru was woken by a hit to the face and the sound of shuffling bed sheets followed by a dull thud. Both confused and concerned, he glanced over the bed to see a frazzled looking Kaito. The magician was crouched down on the floor hugging himself, his whole body shaking "Kaito?" He inquired softly, not wanting to spook him. It would be a pain to go through another episode like before.

' _He was fine with touch while awake, so why is he like this?_ '

At the sound of his voice the magician froze, Saguru tensed, just in case he had to chase Kaito again. Indigos blinked in confusion, suddenly clearing "Saguru?" From his voice, the detective could tell that Kaito was confused.

' _At least he snapped out of it quickly enough_ '

"What happened?" He asked, getting up from the bed to crouch down next to the still shaking teen.

Kaito blinked before a mixture of embarrassment and shame crossed over his face "I thought that I was back there for a moment..." Waking up to a presence near him had set all of his instincts on high alert. He lowered his head "They were always touching me or doing something to me whenever I was unconscious..." He'd spent most of his time there unconscious so it was a given. He leaned against Saguru's shoulder "I'm fine with touch..." He paused for a moment "But maybe not waking up to being touched?" He wasn't sure.

The blond inwardly cursed the scientists, for them to have left such an effect on Kaito, he wanted them to pay "It's fine" It really was, he didn't mind getting smacked by Kaito if it meant that he could be near him "It's normal for you to react like that in this case" So Kaito may have some form of PTSD, hopefully the magician would consent to getting help, or at least allow Saguru to help him.

' _Even the strongest of people need emotional support, I will do my best to help him_ '

The magician frowned, glancing at Saguru "I hit you again didn't I?" He bit his lip, he really didn't like not being in proper control of his emotions. It was frustrating that his body kept on acting out without his permission.

Gold softened as the detective poked the younger's cheek "Stop biting on your lip" He'd noticed that there were faint traces of scarring on the bottom lip that hadn't been there before "You didn't mean to hurt me so it's fine" He soothed "You thought that you were in danger so you were protecting yourself" He reached over and ruffled the magician's hair, he needed a bit of a trim "I'm sure that your reactions will eventually fade, it hasn't even been that long since you've been free"

' _I'd rather have him wake up defending himself than have him waking up feeling hopeless. At least if he's fighting it means that he still has his spirit_ '

Kaito went to bite his lip but stopped himself "I still don't like the fact that I keep hitting you" Hurt was present within his eye "What if I really hurt you one day?" He didn't want to hurt him, he hated hurting people.

"Then you can just heal me and we'll talk it out and get you more help okay?" He highly doubted that Kaito would accidentally really hurt him. The other's attacks had been more focused on defence instead of dealing damage. The magician wasn't the kind of person to intentionally hurt anyone "I won't let you hurt me if I can help it" He soothed.


	81. Chapter 81

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written November 9 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad January 13 2020  
> Posted here March 10 2020

Kaito gave him a weak smile in response "Good" He breathed "I already feel horrible for hitting you just now" Indigo gleamed, but not as brightly as they normally would have "I'd probably end up feeling like scum if I kept hurting you and you actually allowed me to" He didn't like hurting people, not really. It didn't matter if he could just heal them, truly hurting others just felt wrong. Especially if the person that he was harming, was someone dear to him, like Saguru.

' _I'm not really in complete control of my actions right now so I've got to be careful_ '

Saguru nodded in understanding "I figured" It was one of his favourite qualities about the other, the fact that it hadn't changed was relieving "You're too wonderful a person to not be bothered about hurting those you care about" He took Kaito's left hand in his own and brought it up to his lips to deliver a quick kiss to the top. Gold eyes studying the other's reaction. He wasn't sure if the other was still okay with touches like that.

The magician felt both his cheeks and ears warm at the contact, those golden eyes were mesmerising "I'm not really all  _that_ special..." He knew he was special, but he wasn't nearly as special as Saguru was making him out to be. He had hoped that something bad had happened to one of the scientists after all, and now looking back at it, he felt guilty.

' _Dad didn't teach me to want horrible things to happen to others._..'

The blond gently took Kaito's other hand into his own, stopping the younger's nails from digging into flesh "Where's the cocky little shit of a magician that I fell in love with?" He inquired, grinning softly when Kaito's blush deepened. It was odd for Kaito to not boast about himself when given the chance.

Kaito glanced away, fingers curling into Saguru's "He's kinda feeling a little defeated right now" This was twice now that he'd been captured so easily and had been too helpless to escape himself. Even though he knew that the last time wasn't truly his fault since he'd been drugged, it still bothered him.

' _I hate feeling helpless_...'

Gold softened in sympathy, releasing Kaito's hands so that he can cup the younger's face "Stop being an idiot" He chided "Not many people would be as sane as you are right now if they were in your position" He paused before continuing "You're a winner in my eyes" Sure Kaito was a little damaged from his experiences, but he was still priceless.

A small giggle escaped from Kaito's lips "So you don't consider me completely sane?"

Saguru smirked "You were never sane to begin with" Kaito was a crazy nutball magician with a shining heart and tenacious will. Kaito turned crazy into a good thing "A little more crazy is fine" He'd adjust to better help Kaito heal.

' _That's true... I have done some crazy things in my life_ '

Kaito closed his eyes and leaned against the other, enjoying Saguru's calming presence. There was so much that he wanted to confide in the other about "Hey Saguru?" He asked, voice unusually soft.

The blond raised a brow "Yes Kaito?" He inquired, curious to know what the other wanted to tell him. Kaito had sounded oddly unsure.

The magician gently worried his lip "Kudo told me a bit of what happened to me" A small wave of nausea hit him as he thought about the information.

' _I don't want to tell him, but I'll probably feel a little better if I do_ '

Saguru frowned "You truly didn't know?" That was odd.

Kaito shook his head, burying his face into the crook of the older's neck. He felt safe like this "No, I barely remember a thing" His words trailed off "I was constantly drugged" He swallowed "They did everything for me..." His voice wavered "I remember regaining a bit of consciousness once while I was being bathed" There was a crack as he spoke "I wanted to move away, I tried so hard" A shiver went through him as he shook his head, shoulders dipping "But my body wouldn't move" He sniffled "I was forced to lay there as they bathed me" It had been humiliating to be treated as something less than a human.

' _And I couldn't do a thing to stop it_...'

Gold darkened in fury, he hated how Kaito sounded so broken "They didn't?" He knew that it was a difficult question, but he just had to ask.

A small tremble ran through his frame as he shook his head once more "Not really?" He sounded unsure even to himself "But I wasn't actually raped" He quickly tacked on when he felt the older tense "I was just..." Molested, violated, and treated like a valued specimen "Touched" He finished weakly.

Tears prickled in the corners of his eyes as Saguru wrapped his arms around the magician, wanting to protect him "Oh Kaito..." He breathed, heart clenching for his love "I still love you more than anything" He promised, knowing that some victims of sexual assault don't see themselves as worthy after the act. His tears fell at the thought, that's what Kaito was, a victim.

A watery laugh escaped from the brunette's lips "I never doubted that" Saguru was too kind and understanding to toss him away.

' _I just know that the information will hurt you too._..'

Saguru let out a relieved breath "I'm grateful for your faith in me" It was a relief to know that Kaito won't try to end their relationship out of self loathing.

"I just..." He didn't really know how to go about telling the other "I know that the information will hurt you" He didn't want to hurt Saguru, but he trusted and loved him. He knew that the blond would help him heal better if he understood. He nuzzled the crook of Saguru's neck, it was a safe touch "The information really upset Kudo" And he and Shinichi weren't really that close, or at least not as close as he and Saguru were.


	82. Chapter 82

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written November 11 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad January 18 2020  
> Posted here March 13 2020

Saguru tilted the younger's chin up, meeting Kaito's gaze "I care about you" He stated, voice soft and gentle to Kaito's ears "If telling me will help you" He paused "Then please do, I felt helpless when I was unable to find you" Shinichi had done most of the work "So please let me help you if it's within my power to do so" He finished.

' _I don't like seeing Kaito so unsure, he's supposed to be vibrant and confidant in himself_ '

The magician hesitated for a few moments before taking in a shaky breath. He allowed his weight to rest more against the blond "A person with wings is kinda special and unique right?" He asked softly, at the other's nod he continued "They" He let out a shaky breath before trying again "They were apparently attempting to  _breed_  me" He sniffled, a shiver running down his spine, he was feeling nauseous again.

Saguru felt like he'd been punched in the gut, a cold wave of horror washed through him "But you said that they didn't..." He felt silly, the word 'rape' was suddenly hard to say. It was a word that he did  _not_  want to be associated with the magician.

' _I hope those scientists never see the light of day ever again! How could they do that?! Especially to Kaito!_ '

Watery indigo met gold, he'd felt how Saguru's grip around him had tightened. The blond's concern was somewhat heartwarming "They didn't" Kaito assured. They didn't rape him in the normal sense, and they also failed to breed him. He trusted Shinichi's word, the sleuth wouldn't lie to him. At least not about this.

Gold narrowed in confusion for a few moments before realizing what Kaito had meant "Artificial?" He breathed, when Kaito nodded, he was only a little bit relieved. He wanted to bundle the magician up and hide him away from all of the evils in the world "You're so strong" He whispered, feeling sick, he considered it the same as rape. He was just glad that Kaito seemed to be holding up decently, he leaned his head down to place a kiss onto the magician's cheek "I love you so much" Kaito was strong, but he'd make sure to be there when the magician needed him.

' _I'm so glad that it wasn't attempted naturally... The act alone would have been even more traumatising. Though I still wish that it hadn't happened at all_ '

Kaito blushed, Saguru was making him feel so safe and calm. He was a little scared to think about how he'd be without his support "I'm only so strong" He gave a small laugh, it was weak. He could tell that he wasn't really himself right now, but it was kinda hard to stop the unconscious actions.

"And I'll help to keep you strong" Gold softened "Or at least to build you back up" He used to think that the magician was almost untouchable. After actually getting to know him, and after recent events, he could easily see how wrong he'd been. That untouchable feeling had always been a well placed mask, Kaito was just as human as the rest of the world. Yes he had advantages, but he was still vulnerable all the same.

' _He's even more vulnerable right now than usual_...  _His poker face is weak_ '

Kaito could feel his own nails digging into his arms again. He wanted to agree with Saguru, but right now he didn't really feel balanced enough to even be built back up "I'll do what I can" He breathed, closing his eyes, he just felt so tired despite how he'd recently slept.

Saguru snorted "Tell me something I don't know" Kaito almost always does his best with things that matter "At least your body isn't shaking anymore" The shaking had stopped a little bit ago, something which had pleased the blond.

' _He must have been full of drugs while he was captive... Now that I think about it, he was showing some signs of withdrawal... Maybe his magic eased it?_ '

"I am probably going to feel miserable when I start laying eggs?" Kaito replied softly, wanting to lighten the mood. The fact that he was going to lay eggs was somewhat mortifying, but it wasn't something that he could really hide from Saguru right? He wasn't conscious enough before, but now that he was, it was scary to think about.

The blond choked on his spit, gold widening in shock "Really?" The uncomfortable look on the magician's face was answer enough. But he hadn't seen anything odd in the onsen, and he was pretty sure he'd gotten a good look.

Kaito blushed at Saguru's curious gaze, the other was glancing towards his crotch area. Gah detectives and their need to know! "So you were checking me out before..." He squeaked, sure he'd glanced at the other when he'd had the chance, but Saguru was looking at him as if he was surprised he'd missed something. That meant that the blond had done more than just give him a curious glance! He squirmed in embarrassment at the thought "I have another hole that isn't easily noticed" He replied, he'd been around Shinichi enough to know that it was just better to sate a detective's curiosity than to let it grow.

' _I'm very curious... But I highly doubt that he'll show me, not that I'd blame him of course_ '

Saguru gave Kaito a reassuring smile "That would make it easier for society to accept us" Kaito gave him a bewildered look "We can claim that you were a hermaphrodite and never really noticed.

The magician's eyes widened in realization, his cheeks going a soft rosy shade "When we're older" They could get legally married, and it wouldn't look odd if they had a child together. But that was something for the way distant future. They were both too young, and Kaito wasn't comfortable with the idea of starting a family just yet. That and they've hardly been together as a couple.

The blond nodded "The future, yes" He planned to be with Kaito for as long as the other allowed him to be.

' _I hope that stating some positives about his future will make him feel more comfortable about himself_ '


	83. Chapter 83

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written November 30 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad January 20 2020  
> Posted here March 20 2020

Ginzo let out a tired sigh, he was sitting in one of the multiple rooms within the hideout. He'd left his daughter with her girlfriend, wanting some time alone to think. Honestly, he felt shaken seeing Kaito like that, the boy was one of the strongest people that he knew. So to have seen Kaito so damn fearful, it chilled him to even think about what had been done to him. Then there were the scars.

' _Kaito-Kun has so many scars now... He's more marked up than most people on the force...'_

He'd noted them when he'd first arrived in this weird place, Kaito had been laying unconscious on the hospital bed. There'd been the obvious scars that had reminded him of biology class, then there had been the others, the scars that didn't look like they'd been created surgically. Jagged patches of scars had littered the magician's torso, as if he'd been cut by something other than a knife. The bullet wounds were the most concerning though, he highly doubted that a scientist would shoot their subject without the intention of killing. That meant that those scars were from  _before_. 

The inspector swallowed, suddenly feeling ill as he closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall. He really couldn't deny it anymore, he'd tried so damn hard to ignore the signs, not wanting to believe the truth. Kaito was Kid, which explained so much. So many things were starting to make sense about the crazy teen now. He let out a weary breath, he didn't want to arrest him, he didn't even want to acknowledge the fact that he knew.

' _Kaito-kun is family, I just didn't want to see it._.'.

After meeting Shinichi and learning of his connection to Kaito, he'd realized exactly what the last heist had been about. It had been about making sure that connections couldn't be drawn between Kaito and Kid. His gaze narrowed, if both Saguru and Shinichi were on Kaito's side, then the magician was probably doing more good than what he'd initially thought. He couldn't arrest him, even if he had wanted too, which he didn't.

 _'He isn't the kind of person for malicious intent to be figured into his motive._..

* * *

                                                  

Akako smiled softly as she glanced down at Aoko, her girlfriend had fallen asleep in her arms, and for once she looked as if it was a peaceful sleep. She'd yet to greet the magician, but she'd at least visited him while he'd been unconscious. Akako had known the exact moment that the magician had awoken, mainly by the frantic emotions that he'd exuded. It had been hard, refraining from going to him, but Lucifer had advised her that too many people would be too overwhelming for Kaito to handle.

' _Kuroba had been so fragile... But his soul seems to be at more ease than before_ '

She gently combed her fingers through Aoko's hair, she'd visit once the other had awoken. She knew that the trickster was safe, and felt no urgency from him. Her gaze softened, she didn't really have the heart to wake Aoko up from the best sleep the other has had since Kaito's kidnapping. That, and Aoko just looked so cute right now.

* * *

Shinichi grimaced, looking down at his phone. He had so many missed calls, even one from Ran, who hasn't even spoken to him after learning about Conan. He bit his lip, the take down hadn't exactly been that stealthy once it had reached the chasing portion of the plan. The few from Heiji were probably caused by the Osakan being annoyed that he hadn't been involved, so it was safe to ignore those. He didn't really want to talk to his parents right now, so that left Ran.

' _Why has she called me now? I thought that she hated me_...'

* * *

Saguru glanced towards the door when he heard a knock, he'd been resting on a separate cot than the magician. It had really surprised him when the magician had fallen asleep so easily, but he'd heeded Kaito's previous wish and had moved away from him. He really would have rather cuddled him, but he understood Kaito's concerns when it came to being touched in his sleep "Come in!" He called softly, surprised when Kaito didn't so much as twitch at the sound.

' _He's been sleeping an awful lot... I hope it's just a side effect of whatever's in his system._..'

The door opened to reveal Shinichi, the sleuth was holding a tray that had some sandwiches and some other foods. Azure eyes swiftly took note that the magician was once again sleeping "I wasn't sure if an unfamiliar face would be good for him yet" He explained as he set the tray down "I also couldn't locate any of the others" That, and he'd decided that he'd let the magician stay in his own somewhat isolated bubble for as long as the other wanted. He knew that Aoko could be loud and that Akako would probably visit when she felt that the magician was up for it. It was unfortunately not the first time that he's met the red witch.

Saguru nodded "I appreciate it" The sleuth was a lot more caring and conscientious than the media made him out to be, it made him wonder about the other's disappearance. He noticed that there were two meals, one consisted of the sandwiches and some rice, while the other was a shake of sorts with a small bowl of chocolate pudding on the side "So Kaito isn't good for solids?" He inquired, though it sort of made sense. Liquids would have been easiest to feed a drugged up magician. Kaito probably hadn't had any solid food since he'd been captured. 

 _'At least the pudding will raise his spirits_ '

"Kuroba was fed a mixture of nutrients and given an IV as well according to his files" He was thankful that the magician had at least been kept healthy. One could only live on just an IV for so long, the liquids had contained fats, proteins, and carbs as well as other essential substances.


	84. Chapter 84

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written December 2 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad January 23 2020  
> Posted here March 20 2020

Saguru's gaze darkened a bit "Kaito had already been somewhat underweight even before he'd been taken" Baaya had been helpful in helping Kaito regain some weight, but then everything had gone wrong before Kaito had managed to get to a proper weight. His fingers clenched, Baaya wasn't around to help them this time around. He missed her.

' _I'm not as great of a cook as Baaya was, and I doubt that take out would be too good for him in the long run_...'

"Kuroba will probably always be at least a little underweight" Shinichi breathed, he'd noticed the magician's thinness during his check up with him at the mansion, but had decided not to comment on it at the time "It's just the way his body works" He knew that Kaito was by no means skimping on his meals, it was actually the opposite. The magician ate quite a lot, whenever he remembered to eat that is.

The blond nodded in agreement "Believe me, I know" A small smile played on his lips as he remembered watching Kaito consume an ungodly amount of chocolate "It's actually quite shocking that he's as lean as he is" So many people would kill to be able to have a metabolism like Kaito's.

Shinichi smirked "I'll leave to let you eat in peace" Azure gleamed "You should probably eat first before waking him up. Kuroba may put up a fit at not being able to eat solids and might try to take some of yours instead" Saguru snorted, that was a very real possibility.

' _I don't want him to make himself sick on my food_ '

* * *

Kaito was startled awake by something hitting him, it hadn't hurt though. Indigo blinked open in confusion, he grabbed the pillow covering his face and moved it to clear his vision. He stared blankly at the pillow for a moment before turning towards Saguru "Did you just throw a pillow at me?" He inquired, feeling surprised for some reason.

' _At least the pillow was soft'_

"I figured that it would be better than shaking you awake" Saguru breathed, knowing that Kaito wouldn't like being touched as he woke up. His gaze narrowed, Kaito's reaction seemed a little slow.

The magician nodded, feeling a little dazed for some reason "Thanks" He breathed, appreciating the other's kindness.

The blond flicked Kaito's forehead, taking the other's hands into his own, forcing them to uncurl "How would you feel about wearing gloves for now?" He asked softly, watching as tiny crescent shaped cuts on his hands healed. Kaito bit his lip.

' _I didn't notice, again_ '

"I think that would be good" He sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat "I'm not trying to hurt myself but..." He was doing so anyways. Hopefully he'd stop once he was more put together.

Gold softened at how downtrodden Kaito looked, he believed the other's words. Kaito's actions hadn't seemed purposeful, though that in itself was a tad worrisome. Kaito's actions used to always have a purpose "It's fine, I know that you aren't like that" He soothed "You're just a bit off since you haven't been able to move properly for a long time" He just prayed that it could be fixed with time and wasn't permanent. Magicians needed to be precise in their actions.

Kaito frowned, glancing down at both his hands and arms, there were quite a few new scars on them. Ones that the scientists hadn't made. He could also taste a bit of blood in his mouth, meaning that he'd broken the skin on his lip, again "I really don't like this" He doubted that there was a way to stop him from biting his lip.

' _I want to be in complete control again_...'

"Maybe some food will cheer you up" Saguru stated as he grabbed the tray and put it within Kaito's sight "I've already eaten, so now it's your turn to eat" He breathed, placing the tray onto the magician's lap.

The other blinked, it had been so long since he remembered eating. The last clear memory had been that meal where Baaya had drugged him "A smoothie?" Sure he liked them, but he sort of wanted something that he could chew.

' _At least there's some chocolate pudding too_ '

"The smoothie should be chock full of nutrients" He explained as the magician picked up the cup "Your body might not be able to handle any solid foods right now"

Kaito raised a brow "You guys aren't sure?" That was a little surprising.

Saguru shrugged, averting his gaze "We didn't want to run too many tests on you without your permission" He let out a breath "Only the bare minimum was done to make sure that you didn't need anything immediately" They hadn't wanted Kaito to suddenly die due to them missing something important.

He grimaced at the thought of tests "Thanks, I really appreciate that" Though he didn't like how the other had mentioned the possibility of more tests. He knew that he probably needed some, but he just didn't want any more tests. Just because he trusted them, didn't mean that he was fine with more tests.

' _At least they've waited and didn't do them all while I was unconscious_ '

The blond watched as Kaito began to take slow, cautious sips from the smoothie. It was odd to see him taking his time to eat it rather than eat it quickly "I don't think that there are any immediate tests that need to be done" He soothed, noting the other's nervousness. There were truly no tests that couldn't wait a bit before being done.

"That's probably because my magic is fixing things right?" Kaito inquired softly, gaze lowered. He currently didn't really feel right, but he felt a lot better than before he'd fallen asleep. He kinda liked how his magic was a bit cheaty.

' _I can feel my magic working, but I don't really understand what it's doing to me yet_...'

Saguru nodded "You're assumption is correct" He gave a small smile "We're all sort of hoping that your magic will do everything needed" They didn't want to stress Kaito too soon and risk his health further.


	85. Chapter 85

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written December 5 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad January 25 2020  
> Posted here March 20 2020

Kaito nodded "Good, I really don't want any more tests right now" He'd had more than his fair share of tests for a lifetime.

Gold softened as he watched the younger finish off the smoothie, he was pleased that Kaito hadn't raised that big of a fuss "How do you feel about having others visit you?" He paused "After you're done eating of course" He didn't want to risk Kaito being distracted away from his food.

' _I'm actually quite surprised that Nakamori-san didn't try to force her way in here already. Though Koizumi-san may be the one to thank for that_ '

The magician pursed his lips, stirring his chocolate pudding with a spoon. Aoko could be loud, and he wasn't sure if he could handle that right now. Everything recently has been mostly quiet "I'd like to see them but..." He also didn't want to be yelled at.

Saguru put a comforting hand onto the magician's shoulder "Nakamori-san is aware that she can be loud" He replied softly, it had actually been quite pleasing to learn that she was actually trying to fix that problem of hers "She'll do her best to be more kind to you"

' _She knows that Kaito has already been through a lot, and wouldn't want to upset him. Especially after seeing his reaction when he'd first woken up_ '

Kaito's fingers curled into his bed sheets, suddenly realizing that they'd seen his wings. Wary indigos met gold "What's the story?" Surely he hadn't been outed as Kid to Aoko and Ginzo right? That was something that he could  _not_ deal with right now.

The blond flashed a small smile "We told them that you angered a magical creature and got cursed as a result" He nudged the half eaten bowl of pudding, garnering attention towards it "They also assume that Dr.Kalos was the one who caused the Crows to target you" Which was true, but also left out a lot of the important details "They know that you were experimented on, just not the details" He couldn't help but smile when he felt the tenseness in Kaito's shoulders start to fade "As for your involvement with the FBI..." He trailed off, giving the magician an accusing but playful look.

Indigo gleamed as Kaito raised his pudding up in an attempt to hide behind it, a soft smile playing on his lips "My secret got out..." He giggled.

' _So he was withholding the information for his own amusement_...'

"We wouldn't have been able to rescue you without having the FBI as backup" Saguru breathed, grateful that the magician had created such connections. He didn't even want to think about what would have happened if the FBI hadn't helped. The Crows were too dangerous to take down without help. The rescue wouldn't have gone so smoothly, and may had ended with their deaths. Kaito was lucky.

The pudding was placed down "I'm sorry for worrying you" Kaito replied softly, leaning over to give Saguru a hug "And thank you for saving me" He suppressed a shiver at the thought of what might have happened if he'd been believed to be dead. He really didn't want to think about how he would have probably spent the rest of his life as a test subject.

"I did what I wanted to do" Saguru smirked "Just like a certain someone" He didn't need to be thanked, being with Kaito once more was enough of a reward "Regarding the FBI, they know that you've been working with them, though not the exact details" Thankfully since it was the FBI, it was believable to just state that he couldn't tell them.

' _Though now that Kid is gone, I'm quite curious to know what he'd be tasked with_ '

Kaito let out a breath, that was probably going to be as good as it gets. At least now he had a good excuse for when he needed to do Kid stuff "Hey quick question" He'd been gone for a good while "How's Nakamori-Keibu been holding out since Kid has been missing too?" Surely the guy had to have been on edge right?

Saguru blinked, then remembered that Kaito didn't know what Shinichi had done "Oh, Kudo-kun killed Kid" The magician's jaw dropped, it was hard not to laugh at how shocked Kaito seemed.

"But I need Kid!" How was he supposed to find Pandora without Kid? Sure the Crows may be gone, but it was too dangerous to risk it being found by the wrong person. How could Shinichi do that? The jerk knew how important it was to him!

"Kaito calm down" Saguru scolded, concerned how warmth was beginning to radiate from the other "Kudo-kun has Pandora" He soothed, wrapping his arms around the magician "You don't have to do anything but heal" Shocked indigo met gold "You can destroy it whenever you want"

' _He doesn't have to force himself to be better, instead he can allow himself to heal properly_ '

Kaito stuttered, indigo blown wide to hide the whites of his eye "But how?" His voice was small and faint, his heart fluttered. He was supposed to be the one who found Pandora, he really didn't know what to think about that. Pandora being found seemed almost too good to be true.

* * *

"Kudo-kun used your plans, then faked Kid's death once he'd realized that it was Pandora" If he hadn't been taken, Kaito would have been the one to find Pandora.

' _My plans... That means._..'

His vision blurred, he rubbed his left eye to clear away the tears. He didn't have to keep lying and making Aoko sad. He sniffled his teary gaze meting Saguru's "So it's over?" He didn't have to keep getting hurt or keep dodging bullets, unable to get legal help.

' _The Crows are gone, Pandora is found... What next?_ '

"No, but almost" Kaito needed to ascertain Pandora with his own eyes and destroy it. Then he'd continue on healing "Soon you can start working on becoming a professional magician" The Crows weren't a danger anymore, Kaito wouldn't end up like his father.

' _A magician, like dad_...'

Indigo cleared a bit as Kaito was silent for a few moments "I don't think that I want to be a professional magician anymore"


	86. Chapter 86

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written December 6 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad January 27 2020  
> Posted here March 27 2020
> 
> !!!!!  
> PLEASE READ END NOTE  
> !!!

Saguru gaped, not believing what he had just heard, surely he'd heard wrong? "You're joking right?" He inquired, magic was what Kaito loved the most, so why wouldn't he want to be a professional magician? "Magic is your life" The magician normally couldn't go a day without doing some sort of trick.

' _What could have happened to make him change his dreams?_ '

A warm smile played on Kaito's lips "Magic is my life, and there's almost nothing that could make me give it up" He paused for a moment, glancing down at his hands "But that can just be a hobby" Indigo gleamed "I've found something else that I'd rather do for my job" A soft white glow appeared on his hands, wings unveiling at the same time "Healing Maya..." A warm and fuzzy feeling bubbled within his chest "It made me so happy" He wanted to feel that happiness more.

"But your wings..." Concern laced his voice, Kaito couldn't really do magic consciously without his wings being out. He admired the other's intentions, but he couldn't help but be worried about what would happen if  _everyone_  knew about his magic.

' _He could be captured by the government for tests or used for their own gain, and the law wouldn't stop them._..'

Indigo softened as Kaito clasped Saguru's hands within his own "I'm not an idiot" He smirked "No matter how much it may seem like it" He gave a reassuring squeeze "I'll become a doctor and secretly boost people's health, and I can see if Akako can teach me how to use magic while hiding my wings" His voice became more animated "I can cure diseases before they even get noticed, and speed up healing on already ill patients" That feeling he got when the little girl had cried and hugged him had stuck in his mind. He wanted more happy moments like that for others.

Saguru's lips curled up into a smile "You've always been a softy for little kids" Magicians tried to make people smile, and knowing Kaito, he'd do the same as a doctor "I'll have to keep a closer eye on you to make sure you don't overexert yourself" He breathed, Kaito was one to push limits after all.

' _He has the intelligence to get through med school even if he didn't have an advantage with his magic_ '

Kaito stuck out his tongue "And I can get paid as I patch you up" He smirked "Detectives seem to get into all sorts of trouble" He knew that he couldn't stop Saguru from going out to confront criminals, no more than he could have stopped Kaito from being Kid. Instead, he'd support the other, and maybe even lend a helping hand once in a while.

The blond raised a brow "Speaking of trouble, I believe that the FBI may want a favour from you" Shinichi had insinuated the possibility, and Saguru deemed that it was quite plausible. 

' _They wouldn't throw away the chance to use Kaito's talents for themselves_ '

The magician gave a small grimace in reply "Of course they do" They were always pestering him about one thing or another "Maybe I could do some missions for them off and on" He'd still be helping people, and it would let him pretend that he was still Kid. He didn't want his life to be  _too_  normal, that wouldn't be any fun.

Saguru snorted "Who would have guessed,that you would be the one to be on the payroll of law enforcement before me" Sure he was a detective, but he wasn't actually being paid.

Kaito flashed a grin "I know right?" He couldn't actually ditch the FBI before he got a decent job, his mother really wasn't bringing any money in "I'm sure that it would look awesome on my resume if I was allowed to include it"

"Nothing is normal when it comes to you" Saguru breathed, uncurling Kaito's hands. Thankfully they hadn't yet drawn blood again. Gold softened "And I wouldn't have it any other way" Kaito's face flushed when the older kissed the palms of his hands.

' _I wouldn't be able to be content with a normal life, I'm too used to the oddness that Kaito brings_ '

"You're always kissing my hands" The magician blushed.

"That's because they're important to you, thus important to me" As either a magician or doctor, the other's hands were precious and vital for Kaito's success. He really wished that the other would stop unintentionally damaging them.

Kaito's blush deepened, Saguru's words were just too much for him "Bastard" The word was filled with fondness instead of venom.

* * *

"Aoko-chan" Akako called softly, attempting to wake the other up. She'd sensed that now was a good time to visit the returned magician.

Blue eyes tiredly blinked open "Akako-chan?" She yawned tiredly before freezing, she'd forgotten where she was "Is Kaito okay?" She hadn't meant to fall asleep before seeing the magician.

' _Kaito looked so bad when I saw him, what if he freaks out again? I don't want him to go through that again._..'

The red witch smiled "Kuroba-kun should be fine with us visiting so long as you don't go after him" She trusted her magic.

Aoko's gaze fell, feeling ashamed of her past actions towards Kaito "Aoko will do her best not to upset him" Kaito wasn't the normal Kaito that could withstand her brashness, right now he was a more fragile Kaito than what she was used to. She didn't want to hurt him.

Akako nodded, pleased with her girlfriend's words "Then we should head over, his aura feels relatively relaxed right now" It wasn't perfect by any means, but it was probably the best it could get for now.

"Aoko can't wait to see Kaito" She'd technically already seen him, but the magician had either been unconscious or emotionally unstable. It hadn't felt the same.

' _I don't want to see him scared like that ever again, it doesn't suit him_ '

The witch smiled "Our presence will do him some good now that he's more settled" A pair of light grey gloves materialized in her hands, Aoko's eyes glimmered at the use of real magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The original plan was to eventually span the rest of this after a few more weeks, but I've changed my mind since I'm now working on the sequel.  
> I'm going to keep updating weekly so that by the time this is out, I have enough already posted ahead of time on Wattpad. That way there would be no wait for you guys.


	87. Chapter 87

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written December 12 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad January 27 2020  
> Posted here April 3 2020

Aoko followed Akako a bit reluctantly through the door, she was a little nervous that Kaito wasn't ready yet. The magician had wanted some space after all. When her gaze met with surprised indigo, she almost ran towards him, wanting nothing more than to hug him "Kaito..." Her words were soft as she cautiously moved towards the bed where both magician and detective were cuddling together.

' _Now that Aoko's gotten a better look at him, he looks so different.._.'

Even though Kaito looked so different, she knew that without a doubt that it was him. He just needed some actual sunlight to get his skin tone back to normal, and a haircut. His missing eye though, she wasn't sure if that could be easily fixed.

Kaito blinked, before a warm smile creased his lips "No hug for Kaito-sama?" He teased, moving out of Saguru's embrace to hold out his arms for her. He'd missed her, she was his precious childhood friend.

' _He's still himself._..'

A small cry bubbled up in her throat as she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him. Aoko sniffled, tears falling down her face. She'd been so scared that the magician wouldn't be himself, the trauma of being a science experiment could have easily changed him "Don't ever worry Aoko like that ever again!" Her voice was watery, and barely audible. Saguru let his shoulders relax, he'd been expecting Aoko to at least whack Kaito. He spared a glance towards Akako, the red witch really was good for the other.

The magician let out a soft chuckle, gently combing his fingers through her hair "It's not my fault Ahoko" He whined, his shoulder felt damp "I didn't ask to be captured by those weirdos" He'd thought that the threat had been thugs when he'd drank the tainted drink, not the Crows.

' _Teasing me._..'

Aoko sat up, wiping her face before meeting Kaito's gaze "It doesn't matter" She huffed, poking his chest with her pointer finger "You will not disappear like that ever again" Kaito was not allowed to be hurt like that.

Kaito snorted "That's hardly fair..."

"It's a fair order Kuroba-kun" Akako stated, tossing the gloves towards him "You've hurt a lot of people with your absence" A shiver ran down the magician's spine as her eyes glinted dangerously "So you better pay us back by allowing yourself to get better"

* * *

Kaito swallowed, noting the subtle threat as he slipped the gloves on, they were comfy and fit just right "I have no plans that would hurt my health" Which was currently true, but he didn't know about the future. If he had to do something to help that was dangerous, he would.

' _She's still scary, even when she's concerned about my health_ '

"That is very good" Saguru breathed, spotting the loophole within the other's claim. His gaze softened, he would be himself if he didn't leave himself an escape route "None of us would be able to cope well if we lost you again" It still felt amazing for him to even be able to see, let alone touch him.

* * *

' _Ran_ '

Shinichi glanced at his cellphone sadly before putting it away, Ran had called him, and the conversation had been odd. He didn't really know what to think of it besides the fact that he'd angered her again. She'd told him not to contact him, yet she had phoned him to yell at him for not notifying her about the take down "Kudo-kun" He turned around, raising a brow. Why was Ginzo here instead of with Kaito?

"Can I help you Nakamori-keibu?" He inquired, he wasn't really much of an acquaintance to the other, so it was odd for him to have sought him out.

' _What could he possibly want with me? He barely knows me'_

Ginzo let out a breath before replying, he actually seemed a little uneasy "I want to ask you why you killed Kid" Shinichi had to be the one who played Kid last, the teen looked and sounded so similar to Kaito that it had been an easy guess. That, and he was the most viable candidate out of everyone involved.

' _Oh._..'

Shinichi could easily tell that there would be no fooling the other, Ginzo  _knew_. He sighed "Because Kaitou Kid isn't needed anymore" Azure gleamed "Kid was working for the FBI" He paused "You know who you should ask right? I can't tell you his reasons" Ginzo and Kaito were like family, he was pretty sure that things would turn out okay. It also helped that the inspector knew that Kid hadn't actually been a true criminal.

' _Maybe now that there's no longer going to be Kid to chase, Nakamori-keibu will become more respected. He's a good and smart cop, his failures just always grabbed more attention than his accomplishments. Phantom thieves catch more attention than true criminals after all_ '  

* * *

The inspector nodded, eyes darkening "I do" It hurt to have it actually confirmed for him.

' _Why didn't he come to me for help?_ '

"He's fond of you" Shinichi breathed "He's also similar to me in some ways" Regrettably "He probably didn't want to see you worry or get hurt" He'd felt the same with Ran, but she hadn't taken it well, hopefully it would be different between the two.

"Thank you" Ginzo replied before heading off towards Kaito's room. He wouldn't confront him just yet, he'd wait until he was sure that it wouldn't affect him badly. Kaito had lied so many times, but he'd done it out of concern and care.

' _I'm not sure if Aoko should know._..'

His daughter was an avid Kid hater, unlike himself who'd actually been quite fond of the snarky thief. It had been hard to hate the guy since he'd always showed compassion and was mostly harmless. Aoko hadn't been exposed to Kid as he had been, she'd only seen the outcomes and results. She hadn't seen the thief who he now knew as Kaito risk both his life and freedom to help others.

He, himself was partially to blame for her hatred. He'd been too invested in his job to give her enough attention.


	88. Chapter 88

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written December 14 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad February 1 2020  
> Posted here April 10 2020

When Ginzo entered the room, he wasn't too surprised to see both his daughter and Kaito cuddled up together. Saguru was on Kaito's side while Akako was just standing near the bed, a smirk playing on her lips. He let out a relieved breath at how the magician seemed to be doing okay "I'm glad to see that you're doing well Kaito-kun" He stated, walking over to ruffle the teen's unruly hair. It looked worse since Kaito needed a haircut. He figured that the touch would be okay since he had no problem with the others.

' _Would things like this be ruined if Aoko doesn't accept the truth?_ '

Kaito ducked, a small pout on his lips "Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better than I was before" His fingers curled but the gloves prevented damage from being done "I can't wait until I can leave this place" He didn't really feel up to it right now, it was nice and calm here compared to the rest of the world. He'd been isolated for so long that the thought of being around many random people was a bit unnerving.

Ginzo's brows creased a bit, it was odd for the other to admit that he shouldn't leave a medical facility, even if his words had been subtle "I'm sure that you'll pull through everything eventually" Kaito was strong, and he truly believed that the other would recover in time.

' _I didn't spend so long chasing him for him to be defeated so easily_ '

The magician gave a small smile at that "I'll try" Though something about the inspector's demeanour was bugging him, but he didn't know why.

The inspector nodded, pleased by the other's words "Can I talk to you alone?" He doubted that the other's would leave easily without any prompting. He'd initially thought that he was going to wait, but seeing him again, he couldn't. He needed to know the reasons.

Indigo filled with wary confusion "Sure" He had no reason to deny the request. He felt Saguru squeeze his shoulder reassuringly.

"We won't be too far" He breathed, a little worried about what the other had to say. There weren't many reasons for the inspector to want to talk to Kaito alone. Some of the reasons that came to mind were mildly concerning.

' _Now for the hard part_ '

Ginzo let out a breath once it was just him and Kaito within the room. He sat down next to Kaito, wrapping his arms around the teen in a hug. He didn't want the other to think that he was being interrogated or that he didn't love him anymore "I know that you're Kaitou Kid" He felt the magician tense, it was expected.

Kaito opened his mouth, about to spew out a lie before pausing. Ginzo was still hugging him, but not too tightly. He'd be able to easily escape if he wanted to, that meant that the inspector wasn't trying to capture him. Indigo watered as he leaned into the hug "I'm sorry" his voice cracked. He tried to say more but words weren't really coming to him.

' _Shit... I'd been hoping that it would just be awkward_...'

The softness of Kaito's voice made Ginzo's gaze soften, he'd never heard Kaito sound so apologetic before "It's over now right?" He asked softly, hugging the teen just a little tighter. Kaito was trembling.

He sniffled before silently nodding into the inspector's shoulder, his throat felt like it had closed up. Why was it so hard to talk right now?

"Then it's fine" Ginzo breathed, he pulled back from Kaito, giving the teen some space "Can you tell me why?" He had a horrible feeling that it had something to do with Toichi's death, the dates added up to that conclusion.

' _Toichi was too good of a magician to make such a horrible mistake, I've always thought so_ '

Kaito's gaze was lowered, hands curled up in his lap "I didn't want the bad guys to win" He wiped his eyes "I also didn't want more kids to lose their parents" It still sent a pang of pain through him whenever he thought about how he'll never see his dad again. He didn't want others to feel that pain if he could help it.

"So you decided to team up with the FBI to take down a group of criminals?" He'd already put together that the people who had captured Kaito, had been part of the group he'd occasionally seen skulking around heists. His voice lowered, into a more softer tone "I would have looked out for you if I'd known"

' _I would have helped him hide his injuries from Aoko... God knows how much effort he had to use to hide them from the both of us_...'

He knew that he wouldn't have been able to stop Kaito without lethal consequences, so at the very least he wanted to help where he could.

Kaito wrung his hands together nervously "You remember that big take down a good while ago?" At Ginzo's nod he continued "That was when I started working with the FBI" He grimaced "Kudo wasn't shot like the news had reported" He shrugged "I couldn't very well keep my identity hidden at that point so it was covered up" Thankfully the real Shinichi had vouched profusely for him.

"Those people killed Toichi didn't they?" Any group dangerous enough for the FBI to get involved with had the potential to counter a great magician like his friend.

' _Both Toichi and Kaito have gotten hurt so many times, and I'd never even noticed_...'

The magician nibbled on his lip "Kind of?" He gave a small shrug "They were at the very least connected to the recently defeated group" He'd actually done most of the work against Shinichi's Crows, while this time it seems like the roles were in reverse.

Ginzo was silent for a few moments before replying "I don't even feel all that mad about you lying to be honest" He was mainly relieved that Kaito was okay, and that he hadn't lost a rival like he'd thought. His gaze softened "I'm actually more hurt that you didn't confide in me" He'd raised the boy as his own after all.


	89. Chapter 89

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written December 16 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad February 2 2020  
> Posted here April 17 2020

Indigo closed as Kaito's head lowered, fingers clutching the sheets "It's not that I didn't trust you" He'd always somewhat knew that if it really came down to it, that the other would hear him out first if given the chance "It's just" His grip tightened "I've already lost one dad to the Crows" His voice wavered "I couldn't handle the thought of losing you too" Kaito's voice was soft, little more than a whisper.

' _Keibu was always there for me whenever I needed a father... I don't think that I'd have been able to get over it if he was taken away too_...'

Ginzo released a tired breath, remembering how the magician had been after Toichi's death "I'm smart enough to know how to not get myself killed" He scoffed, ruffling Kaito's hair. His tone softened "I know that I can sometimes be rash, but I would have been careful" He wouldn't have wanted to leave Aoko without a parent, nor hurt Kaito.

The magician shook his head "It would have been too risky" Even without knowing, the inspector had toed the line of danger way too many times in the past. He tasted blood in his mouth but ignored it in favour of meeting the inspector's gaze "I didn't want to take any chances" He didn't want to go through that again, never.

' _We're so lucky that his rants and obvious zeal in going after my other persona had prevented him from being suspected of helping me._..'

The inspector swallowed, Kaito was serious. His traitorous mind flashed back to the few times that Kid had actually taken a bullet for him, or at the very least had gotten injured "Children shouldn't be the ones to protect the adults" He sighed, giving Kaito another hug "I'm supposed to be the one protecting you, idiot" His tone was fond. For such a smart guy, Kaito was equally an idiot. Though that trait was endearing in its

* * *

Shinichi stumbled when he reached the entry room, thankfully he'd been able to grab hold of the door frame to catch himself "Ran?!" He spluttered, who had told her about this location? Wasn't this place supposed to be mostly secret?

' _Why is she here? Isn't she supposed to be mad at me?_ '

Ran's blue gaze narrowed when she spotted the sleuth, he didn't look like he'd been hurt like Heiji had implied "Shinichi" The anger in her voice sent a shiver down his spine. Oh god he was screwed, maybe he could outrun her if he got a head start? The sleuth was frozen in place as the karate champion stalked over towards him, his death would be easier if he just accepted his fate. Ran paused in front of him an unreadable look in her eyes "Are you hurt?" He quickly shook his head, afraid to speak. She usually got angry since he can never seem to say the right thing "Good"

The impact of the slap was over before he could even register that she had swung, he fell back onto the floor. Shinichi couldn't help the wince as he rubbed his cheek, Ran hadn't hit him nearly as hard as she could have, or as hard as he'd been expecting "Oww"

' _Why hasn't she killed me yet?_ '

Her gaze narrowed "Do you know how worried I was when Hattori told me that you'd been hurt?" Shinichi gaped "Just because I was mad at you, doesn't mean that I don't care about you!" Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes, she'd been so scared when Hattori had let it slip that Shinichi was going after Crows again. She crouched down next to him, pulling him into a hug.

The sleuth went still for a moment before returning the hug, azure softened in understanding "I'm sorry, I thought that you didn't want to speak to me"

Ran sniffed "I didn't, but that doesn't matter if you're going to do something stupid or dangerous" She gave a small smile "You're still family even if both me and my dad are angry at you" Since Conan, her feelings for the sleuth had changed to familial. She saw Shinichi more as a little brother than as a potential lover.

' _She doesn't hate me.._.'

"Thank you" He breathed as they both got up off the ground, he then remembered their location "How did you even get here?" Not that he was complaining, but Ran shouldn't have been able to find him here.

"Jodie-sensei told me" She replied "Since Crows were involved, I figured that she would know" The FBI agent had easily told Ran the location, knowing that the girl wasn't a threat.

' _Aren't FBI agents supposed to keep things like that secret?_ '

Shinichi sighed at the answer, he'd had a vague feeling that the answer would be that. He gave her a curious look "You're not going to leave here without answers are you?" Ran was both persistent and stubborn. She gave him a look, he sighed "Well..."

* * *

Chikage's gaze narrowed as she entered the house, it seemed lived in, but not by Kaito. Many things were arranged differently than how Kaito would have done it, there was also the sets of shoes that were obviously not Kaito's. She turned towards Jii "Where's Kaito?" She hadn't been able to contact neither him nor the Nakamoris since she'd woken up.

' _Kaito hasn't been living here... There's also been no messages from him on the special phone_ '

"Hopefully the young master is just out doing something secret" Jii breathed, he now wished that he'd stayed in contact with Kaito, but he'd been worried that he'd inform the young magician about the accident. Chikage had been in a car accident but he'd wanted to wait until after Kaito had done the heist to inform him of it. But then he hadn't been able to get a hold of him.

She nodded, sharing his hopes as she glanced at her crutches. She couldn't go out looking for him like she normally would like this "Something must have happened..." The Kid in the news that had been shot hadn't been her son.

' _Why couldn't I have woken up from the coma sooner? That odd heist wasn't too long ago_ '


	90. Chapter 90

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written December 21 2019  
> Posted on Wattpad February 3 2020  
> Posted here April 17 2020

When they re-entered the room, Saguru easily noted that the magician's eyes were a bit redder than before. Kaito had cried, but the atmosphere within the room didn't make it seem as if something bad had happened between the two. He glanced at the inspector to read his face, Ginzo didn't seem to be angry at all. In fact, he actually seemed somewhat calm. The blond flashed Kaito a reassuring smile "You okay?" He inquired, wanting to make sure that he wasn't missing anything.

' _He doesn't seem to be very worried, Nakamori-Keibu must have accepted his reasons_ '

Kaito nodded, returning the smile with one of his own "Yeah, I've just been more emotional lately" It was something that he wanted to change in the near future. What was the point in having practised his poker face if he kept failing to use it?

Ginzo stifled a yawn "I'm going to take Aoko and tell her a few things about how my job will be changed" Now without Kid to chase, he was going to mainly focus on less known thefts. Aoko had the right to know about the changing of his schedules so that she didn't get confused if he wasn't where she expected him to be. That, and he needed to warn her about the dangers that came with chasing criminals who weren't non-violent. He didn't want her to be shocked if he ever did get hurt, and he may tell a few good stories about Kid. He wanted her to know that the thief wasn't as bad as he often made him out to be.

Akako gave a mysterious smile "Hakuba-kun and I will make sure that Kuroba-kun stays out of trouble" Kaito gave a small pout at her words but didn't verbally argue. He wasn't planning on causing any trouble.

Gold glinted at the magician's pout "Indeed, Kaito will be in safe hands" He breathed before both father and daughter left.

' _I don't think that there's much to defend him from at the moment anyways.._.'

"So the inspector knows about your little secret" The witch mused, she'd had a feeling that it would eventually get out.

"Yeah" He lowered his head, wringing his hands together. It felt weird to know that the inspector accepted the truth and even planned to slowly lighten Aoko's views on Kid. It was almost too good to be true "It turned out better than I thought it would" There had been a whole lot less yelling, maybe it had been because he hadn't denied the accusation? Either way he as grateful that it had turned out so well.

Saguru's gaze softened as he settled himself beside Kaito "Of course it went well" A small smile tugged at his lips as he poked Kaito's cheek "He adores you" Ginzo's care for Kaito had become known to the blond when said inspector had chased down the cultists with his task force. It hadn't been in his jurisdiction, but Ginzo had still led his team for Kaito.

' _Kaito is the kind of person to easily win the hearts of others, it honestly would have been surprising if it hadn't gone well_ '

Kaito gave a sheepish grin, indigo gleaming "I knew that it would have turned out okay" His voice trailed off "But I had honestly expected to come out half deaf from that" Ginzo liked to yell, and he was good at it.

"Lucifer has informed me of your future plans..." Akako breathed, her scarlet gaze steady as it met indigo.

"Is it possible?" Kaito asked, a little nervous that it wasn't. Healing people would be a lot more risky if it wasn't. Saguru looked intrigued.

' _Are they talking about his healing?_ '

Scarlet gleamed "It is for a price" Her tone became serious "Changing the properties of magic is difficult and requires a lot of magic" She wasn't able to help without payment.

Kaito swallowed, sensing that the other wasn't just being coy "And what would the price be?" He really wanted to help people as a doctor.

Akako pursed her lips "For magic of the scale that you're asking for..." She trailed off "Normally I would ask for you to sire an heir for me due to your magical affinity" Her gaze softened when Kaito leaned into Saguru with a fearful look in his eyes "I said normally" She added in reassurance. It would have also been done artificially since she doubted that Kaito would have cheated on Saguru, yet Lucifer had warned her against even mentioning that bit of info. The implications from that were concerning.

' _Dear lord._..'

* * *

The magician's shoulders relaxed a bit "So what's the alternative?" He didn't know much about magic, but he knew enough about Akako that she hadn't said that to be cruel. The red witch had changed a lot since they first met.

' _She did once tell me that strong magic came at a price_...'

"Years from now, when I do find someone to donate, I'd like to take some of your magical essence and mix it in" She met his gaze "Your magical affinity is strong enough that you'd survive the process" Even before he'd become a user of white magic, he'd had good magic genes when it came to repelling spells "It's not a sexual act, just a painful and dangerous one" She was sure that the magician would come out of it with no damage that couldn't heal. She wouldn't have even offered the option if she wasn't required to produce an heir.

Indigos narrowed in confusion "It wouldn't be related to me right?" He was thoroughly confused.

"In human ways no, but magically yes" Akako admitted.

Kaito bit his lip at that "Will you be okay after casting the spell?" If that was the price, then it had to be one doozy of a spell. He didn't mind agreeing if it meant that Akako's witchy acquaintances wouldn't try to split her and Aoko up since they're both females.

' _I don't want her to get hurt, Aoko wouldn't either_ '

Scarlet softened, a wry smile playing on her lips "I have a lovely girlfriend who would care for me as I'm bedridden" Her eyes glinted "And you can help heal me, and in return, we'll care for you after you pay your part a few years from now"


	91. Chapter 91

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written January 4 2020  
> Posted on Wattpad February 3 2020  
> Posted here April 24 2020

Kaito nodded in understanding "I take it that a blood pact or something would have to be done?" It wouldn't make any sense for the spell to work if the payment wasn't guaranteed. All sorts of exploitation tactics would have already been created by now.

Saguru grimaced at the mention of a blood pact, it just sounded evil despite him knowing better. Literature had really influenced how he initially viewed certain things.

' _Since it's Koizumi-san, I doubt that any tricks would be involved. Nakamori-san wouldn't forgive her if she harmed Kaito on purpose_ '

Akako smirked "You're correct" She replied, eyes glinting "But that can wait a year or so. I'd like for you to be better at healing before I cast the pact" She didn't want to be bedridden for too long "And it'll give me a good amount of time to smooth out the conditions" Blood magic could be finicky, she didn't want to risk potential dangers of not being clear enough in the terms.

Indigo gleamed with excitement "I'm so glad that you're not trying to kill me anymore" He smiled, Akako had been such a big help since this whole mess had begun. He'd probably have died from a fever long ago if it weren't for her, or at the very least he'd still hate his wings.

' _I never did notice any of her attempts on his life_...'

The witch scoffed, embarrassed by his gratitude "Aoko is a much better partner for me than you'd have been" She swiftly left the room, leaving he two males alone.

"Koizumi-san is weird..." Saguru stated, eyeing the door. He'd never seen her so flustered before, normally the witch was calm.

Kaito gave a small shrug "I don't think that she's used to others truly thanking her" Her spellbound followers didn't count. He blinked when Saguru gently forced his hands to uncurl, having not noticed what he'd been doing.

* * *

"So Kid's still here?" Ran inquired, her blue gaze unreadable. She hadn't thought about the thief in a while, not since Conan. Sonoko had been oddly kind in not gushing about the thief around her since heists were something that always included Conan. Her friend had just thought that she'd just missed the tiny detective.

' _It's hard to believe that Shinichi has been working with that pervert, or that the guy is actually part of the FBI_ '

Shinichi gave a reluctant nod, unsure if telling her the truth was a good idea or not "Yeah, he's just resting" Azure darkened "Physically he's completely healthy" Though emotionally was another story, it would take time to heal and even then it may not be perfect.

Ran was silent for a few moments before replying "I want to meet him" She wanted to see what kind of guy this Kaito was. Shinichi had apparently dressed up as Kid for him after all, so the guy couldn't be  _that_  bad. Especially if she took into consideration how many times Kid had saved people.

' _He's saved Shinichi so many times when he was Conan_...'

"Okay" Shinichi let out a breath "But please be careful about calling him Kid, there's a girl who looks like you" He paused "She doesn't know that he's Kid, everyone else knows" Ginzo had probably already confronted Kaito judging by how the other had left after their talk.

Ran pursed her lips, so Kid was like Shinichi "I'll keep his secret unless he does something stupid" If Kid was truly a good person, that secret wouldn't be as such for too long now anyways. There was no danger after all.

The sleuth winced, but nodded. At least Kaito didn't have any magic props for a big prank, though he may have snatched a few substitutes. He wouldn't put it past him.

* * *

Kid, really did have the same face as Shinichi. Ran's gaze softened a bit when she took in the thief's appearance, he looked both worn and on high alert nestled against the blond. She remembered Saguru from a few cases.

' _Maybe I should have listened to Shinichi and entered more slowly._..'

Kaito nervously bit his lip, Ran wasn't one of his biggest fans. He'd also done a lot to make her want to hit him "Hello Mouri-san?" His voice was soft, but tinged with fear. Why was she here? He shot Shinichi a worried look but the other just looked apologetic. Ran must have bullied the truth out of him.

"I'm not going to hurt you" She stated, having realized how fearful her presence had made him. At least the guy  _knew_  that he'd been in the wrong during their brief confrontations. Once some of the tension left Kaito she continued "I just wanted to see what kind of person you were to make Shinichi play the part of a thief"

' _Sonoko would be so upset to know that Kid truly looks like Shinichi, she wouldn't be able to make fun of him anymore_ '

"Kaito is a crazy lunatic" Saguru stated, giving Kaito's hand a squeeze "But a good lunatic" His gaze met hers "He has a good heart" A bleeding heart at that. He pulled out a handkerchief and gave it to Kaito, his lip was bleeding.

The magician scowled, cheeks flushed as he snatched the fabric, wiping the blood away before healing the injury "Not a lunatic, just special" He argued.

Ran giggled "I can already see why he helped" Kaito looked harmless "Shinichi told me that you're in a situation similar to how he was with me regarding Conan" But with this guy it was Kid "As thanks for saving the idiot, I wouldn't mind befriending Aoko-chan" She could help get her used to the idea that not all lies were bad. Sure they hurt, but they could have good intent behind them.

' _I sort of feel bad for them, it hurt a lot when I was told the truth_ '

Kaito gaped, reading between the lines "Thank you" He breathed "But why?" He'd thought that she didn't like him, he didn't save Shinichi to be owed a favour.

"You're not a bad person" Her gaze narrowed "But if you act like a pervert..." She didn't need to voice the rest of her threat.


	92. Chapter 92

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written January 8 2020  
> Posted on Wattpad February 7 2020  
> Posted here May 1 2020

Aoko frowned as she thought about what her dad had just finished telling her, she hadn't realized that Kid had done so much good despite being a thief. Yet, if that were the case, then why had he given up on the thief so easily? Last time Kid had gone missing, it had taken years for her father to lose hope, yet the last Kid sighting was less than a month ago. Kid was rumoured to be dead, so why wasn't he the worried and stressed mess he usually was whenever something bad happened to the sneaky thief? It just didn't make any sense.

' _Dad must know something about Kid. If Kid was as important to him as he'd said, then there's no way that he wouldn't be worried about him, or at least upset if he really were dead._..'

She pursed her lips, not liking that her father was hiding something from her. It wasn't like she'd blab about it to others if it was important "Kid's not dead is he?" She stated it as more of a fact than a question.

Ginzo grimaced, his daughter had always been quite smart "He's alive but retired" He admitted "He's also been pardoned so he's not actually a criminal anymore" A great relief on his part since then he wouldn't have to worry about feeling guilty for not turning in a criminal "He was actually working with the FBI"

Aoko nodded "That's good" She gave him a small frown "You would have been really upset if he'd died" She still wasn't fond of the thief, but she at least understood that her father was. Also, if she were to be honest, she didn't think that the guy deserved to die.

' _Good guy or not, he still took up too much of dad's time_ '

The inspector's gaze softened "Yeah, it would have been horrible for the little shit to die" Kaito was family.

A small giggle escaped from Aoko's lips "I guess all crazy magicians are alike, Kaito is annoying too" But she still couldn't help but care about him. Though now that she thought about it, weren't the FBI the ones who's saved Kaito? "Did Kid take part in Kaito's rescue?"

' _He did retire around the time of the rescue_...'

"Yes" Technically, Kid had taken part in the rescue, he just hadn't been one of the one's doing the rescuing.

* * *

Kaito let out a sigh once both Shinichi and Ran had left them, it had put him a bit out of his comfort zone to be around the karate champ like this. Though judging by the apologetic look Shinichi had given him, the sleuth had at least not wanted to cause him discomfort.

' _It's nice that she's agreed to help with Aoko, but it's still scary to have her so close to me_ '

"Your talent for winning people over still amazes me" Saguru breathed against Kaito's ear, the magician squirmed, the other's breath had tickled.

Indigo glanced up into warm gold, a small blush tinting his cheeks "It's probably because I'm most likely a sorry sight" Ran had probably pitied him due to how he looked. He knew for certain that he didn't feel at the top of his game, so he knew that he also didn't look it.

' _I'm just grateful that she didn't deck me on sight_...'

* * *

Both teens suddenly jumped when Saguru's phone began to ring, having not expected the interruption. The blond frowned as he dug out his phone from his pocket, when he looked at the screen, he didn't recognize the number. Kaito gave a small smile, telling Saguru that he didn't mind him taking the call "Hello, this is Hakuba Saguru"

"Is Kaito there?" The voice was laced with concern. He raised a brow not recognising the voice.

' _The woman sounds concerned, but I should be careful. Kaito doesn't need more stress right now_ '

The blond gave the magician a sideways glance before replying "Who are you?" He wouldn't give away Kaito's location to some random person.

There was a small pause on the other line before the woman replied "I'm his mother, I've been trying to phone him but he hasn't been responding. Neither are Aoko-chan and Ginzo" There was another pause "I did some looking around and identified your belongings in Kaito's room" Chikage replied, she'd been a little surprised to learn that a detective had been living in her house without Kaito.

' _His mother? So she's finally decided to check on him_...'

"Yes he's here" There was a bit of bite in his tone, he was angry that it had taken this long for the woman to make contact with Kaito "And he's doing fine, not that it seems to matter much to you" Kaito raised a brow at the harsh tone.

Chikage grimaced, dread pooling in her stomach. Something must have happened to her son, wasn't the detective supposed to be more mild mannered? "There was an accident, I couldn't try to contact him until recently" She glared down at her crutches, because of the accident, she hadn't been there for her son when he'd needed her.

' _An accident... That makes me feel a bit better about the lack of her presence._..'

Saguru let out a breath, forcefully calming himself "You can talk to him yourself" He tossed the phone to Kaito, who easily caught it. He met Kaito's gaze "It's your mother"

Indigos widened in shock before he hastily put the phone up to his ear "Mom?!" He asked, voice soft. It'd been so long since he'd seen or even talked to her.

* * *

Chikage bit her lip, tears threatening to fall as she clenched the phone to her chest. She'd just finished talking to her son. She needed to call Jii so that he could drive to to see her son, her baby had already been through enough without her as it was. She needed to see him.

' _I should have been around more often, why did I think that letting him live alone was ever a good idea?_ '

She hadn't been told much, just bits and details. But even the small bits that she'd been told made her feel guilty for not being there for him.


	93. Chapter 93

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written January 10 2020  
> Posted on Wattpad February 7 2020  
> Posted here May 1 2020

Kaito was waiting near the entrance of the once a secret bunker, he'd taken residence near one of the corners with Saguru. He didn't feel comfortable in large open spaces so they'd dragged over some chairs to wait there. It made him feel a little bad that he was glad that his mom had been in an accident, it meant that he hadn't been forgotten by her "It feels weird to think about seeing my mom" The magician breathed. She was his mom, yet at the same time, it just felt like It'd been so long since he'd seen her in person.

 _'Mom had been gone for four months before everything went crazy... It's been over half a year now_ '

Saguru gave Kaito's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, he too was no stranger to not seeing one's parents that often "But she called often right?" At Kaito's node he offered a small smile "That shows that she at least cares about you. Not to mention that she's rushing over here despite being injured" That was why they hadn't just stayed in Kaito's assigned room. The magician had wanted to heal his mom as soon as he could.

Indigo glowed, a smile of his own playing on his lips "Yeah, we also video called each other a lot" His mom was a lot more attentive than Shinichi's parents at least. Though the sleuth's parents did sort of set the bar low for comparisons.

' _If she didn't care, she wouldn't have done all that_...'

A few moments later, the sound of a car's engine met their ears. Kaito stood up, hurrying towards the exit, hesitating a bit before just lingering there. He didn't want to go outside yet.

* * *

The moment Jii stopped the car Chikage was already opening the door, she wanted to see her son as soon as possible. She moved as quickly as she could with her crutches, letting out a small gasp when she saw him. Kaito looked so thin and pale, and the haunted look in his one visible eye didn't go past her "Oh Kaito!" Tears fell from her eyes as she launched herself at him, hugging him tight.

' _Why is his false eye covered? He wouldn't go around with a bandage covering his eye for no reason... What happened?!_ '

"Mom" The magician's voice was soft as he choked out the word, his vision blurred from tears as he returned the hug. He'd missed her so much, having not even realized the extent until now. Saguru headed into another room, figuring that he shouldn't be intruding on their reunion.

"What happened?" She inquired softly "You barely told me anything over the phone"

Indigo darkened as a weak smile plastered itself onto his face "A lot" He replied softly "But not all of it was bad" His smile became a bit more real "Me and Saguru are dating" His cheeks tinted a faint shade of pink at the admission.

Chikage let out a small squeal, excited for her son "That's amazing!" She hadn't known that Kaito liked guys, but was pleased that he'd found someone that he was interested in, even if it was a detective.

' _Only my Kai-chan would go after a detective while still being a thief_ '

Kaito let out a breath, relieved that his mother had approved. There was no way that he'd ditch Saguru after everything that had happened, so he was glad that he didn't have to ignore his mom. He trusted her, so he didn't think twice about letting his wings out "I also became a white magic user" He was silent for a fearful second, keeping his eyes towards the ground as he waited for her reaction.

She gaped, having not expected to see her son sprout wings "They're real?" She reached out to run her fingers through the ebony feathers, squeaking when Kaito shivered and pulled away a bit. Well that answered her question.

' _They felt so smooth and soft_ '

"They're sensitive when you touch more than the tips" He muttered, blushing. It would have been embarrassing if he got all weird headed around his mother. A soft white glow began to surround his fingertips "I can heal you" He gave her a questioning glance and began to heal her after receiving an intrigued nod.

"That's amazing" She breathed in awe, all of her pain was now gone. She met his gaze "Everything that you've told me so far has been good..." She pursed her lip "But you've implied that not everything had been good..."

Kaito's wings trembled, tucking up neatly against his back. His fingers curled into his palms, gloves preventing blood from being drawn "I'll tell you in my room" He'd spent enough time out of it that he was beginning to feel antsy. In the back of his mind he knew that hiding away in his room wasn't that good for him, but he didn't really care. It had become familiar to him, thus making it feel more safe.

* * *

Saguru approached the elderly man that had been standing just outside "You must be Konosuke Jii" There weren't many people who were close to Kaito, and he'd heard his boyfriend mention the other.

' _Kaito sounded really fond of him, and now that I think about it, he seems familiar_ '

"Ah, yes I am" Jii replied somewhat nervously, he hadn't known that the young master had been hanging around one of the detectives willingly.

The blond raised a brow "You have no need to be nervous, I know everything about my boyfriend regarding certain things"

Jii paled before realization hit him, causing the elder to splutter " _Boyfriend?!"_

Saguru grinned, taking no offence to the tone. Kaito had mentioned how protective the man was of him when it came to heists "Everyone here but Nakamori-san knows the truth and have all agreed not to reveal him" While Kaito wouldn't have gotten arrested, the poor magician would have both an angry Aoko and crazy fangirls to deal with. The guy would have to always be on high alert.

"How is the young master?" Jii asked after letting out a relieved breath. He'd stayed back so that Kaito could be alone with his mother.


	94. Chapter 94

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written January 18 2020  
> Posted on Wattpad February 8 2020  
> Posted here May 8 2020

The next two weeks weren't really all that eventful in comparison to before. Kaito had switched from being holed up in his room in the bunker to being holed up in his house. Going outside was way too much stimulation for the poor magician, making him jumpy and on edge whenever he did leave his house.

The revelation had been very disheartening to Saguru, but the blond had stuck by the magician's side, helping him to set things up with the school. Due to extenuating circumstances, the school had allowed Kaito to stay home, only needing to go to class when there was a test. Both Saguru and Aoko would help deliver his assignments so that the magician would move into the next grade with his peers. Saguru suspected that the school was being extra cooperative so that it didn't have to deal with Kaito's antics, Kaito had giggled when the blond had shared his thoughts.

Besides the magician's obvious reluctance to head outdoors, Kaito had improved a bit in regards to unconsciously harming himself. He no longer needed to wear the gloves all the time since Kaito now only did it when he was feeling distressed. Saguru living with him had been a great help, especially since Kaito had told his mother that he hadn't wanted her to stay. He was used to her absence, so having her present was more stressful than beneficial to his health.

A small smile tugged at the magician's lips at the thought of how good the people around him were being towards him. Normally Aoko would have tried to drag him out of his house, but his childhood friend hadn't even attempted to do so. She just smiled at him warmly as she talked about her day, often mentioning both Akako and Ran. Though she did occasionally give him a weird look, as if she were trying to see something besides himself.

' _Saguru did tell me that Aoko has been asking both him and her father about Kid... Has she started to suspect me?_ '

That thought was a little worrying, his wings shivered as he rolled from his side onto his stomach. He was in his bed, which had become his new norm. He twirled a feather he'd previously shed between his fingers as he thought about Aoko, despite how much he'd teased her, he knew that she wasn't an idiot. He let out a small breath, releasing the feather as he did so, watching it float through the air. It was so boring being all alone while Saguru was in school. If only everything wasn't so  _loud_  outside compared to indoors. Kaito reached over to snatch his headphones, slipping them over his head and putting on a random song. They were helping him to get better with louder noises.

* * *

Saguru let out a small breath when he arrived at the Kuroba residence, hands tightening as he looked down at the schoolwork he was holding. It hurt to see Kaito hole himself up how he was, but at the same time it hurt worse whenever Kaito was forced to go outside. Deep down he knew that he shouldn't be reinforcing the other's behaviour, he knew that it would only get worse as time went on if he let it. But he just couldn't bring himself to drag the magician out of the safety net that'd been crafted.

' _Am I failing as a partner?_ '

Yes he was protecting Kaito, but he wasn't really giving him the push that he needed in order to get better. He let himself into the house, removing his shoes before heading towards Kaito's room. The magician was almost always curled up in bed these days "Saguru!" Confliction warred within Saguru at Kaito's bright greeting. The magician was sitting up on the bed, a fluffy blanket draped over his head but not covering his face as he gave Saguru a warm but wide smile. Indigos were gleaming. Kaito looked content.

"Have a nice day?" Saguru inquired, gaze softening as he made his way over to sit beside Kaito, giving him a quick hug. This was why he couldn't bring himself to force Kaito to go outside, the magician seemed so happy like this.

' _I'm too soft on him... Maybe I could ask Kudo-kun for advice?_ '

Kaito's wings gave a flutter, shaking the blanket off of him "I did my schoolwork and listened to music" Other than that he'd done nothing, again.

Pleased, the blond gave Kaito a quick peck on the cheek. He was glad that the other was heeding his suggestion of listening to music "Well I've brought you another load of work" His words earned an annoyed groan from the other.

"I'm sick of schoolwork" He whined, leaning against Saguru, a childish pout on his lips.

' _Maybe since he's bored._..'

The blond was silent for a few moments before replying "Maybe we could head outside tonight?" There wouldn't be as many people at night, nor would it be as loud since most people would be sleeping.

Kaito's wings trembled as he bit his lip nervously "I'm not sure..." He'd been indoors for so long that it felt odd to go outside, he knew that he was being wimpy, but knowing didn't fix problems.

Gold softened as Saguru gently pet the edges of Kaito's feathers, they were sleeker since the rescue, but not as sleek as they were before the kidnapping. A bird's feathers were a good indicator of it's health, the same probably applied to Kaito "It would mean a lot to me" He admitted, lowering his head "It hurts  to see you like this" Scared of leaving the house, wasting away his life in his room. Kaito was happy, healthy, and alive, but he wasn't really living.

' _He can't keep hiding away like this_ '

The tang of blood filled Kaito's mouth, notifying him that he'd bit through his lip again. He didn't want to go outside, it was nice here. He let out a breath, resting his head against the other's shoulder, he was being selfish again wasn't he? "Okay, we can go out tonight" He'd try for Saguru, since the other had been going above and beyond for him.


	95. Chapter 95

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written January 18 2020  
> Posted on Wattpad February 10 2020  
> Posted here May 8 2020

Aoko was conflicted, she didn't really know what to think about what she'd managed to piece together between what she'd learned from her dad, Saguru, and surprisingly her newest friend Ran these past few weeks. All three of them had managed to convince her that Kid was at the very least, not a bad person.

The tales of Kid's dangerous feats had left her both horrified and in awe. The fact that he wasn't bad really wasn't what was truly bothering her though. What bothered her was how convenient it was that Kid was being openly praised now that he'd retired from being a thief. It seemed like both Saguru and her father would jump at any opportunity to inform her of Kid's good deeds, it seemed forced but at the same time she could tell that they weren't lying. That combined with her sudden friendship with Ran was even more suspicious, Ran often talked about her own friendship with Shinichi and how he'd lied a lot to protect her.

' _It's as if Hakuba-kun and dad are trying to make Aoko like Kid... While Ran-chan seems to be trying to make Aoko think that not all lies are made with bad intentions._..'

When she combined those two thoughts, the resulting idea was scary. At first she'd dismissed the thought since Kid had staged a heist while Kaito had been Kidnapped, but then she remembered that there had only been a single heist during that time and said heist had resulted in the staged death of Kid. Soon after that Kaito had been rescued, it was too convenient, almost as if Kid had been trying to destroy any possible connections to Kaito. She bit her lip, Shinichi had been there and had supported Kaito. Shinichi also looked a lot like Kaito. She knew that Shinichi wasn't the real Kid since he'd been at the clock tower heist on the way home from a murder scene, but maybe he'd been the last Kid.

She'd been so against the idea of Kaito being Kid mainly because she couldn't believe that Kaito could be someone so awful. She buried her face into her hands, having already crawled under her blanket. Now that she knew that Kid wasn't bad, that he'd been trying to do good, it was hard not to be suspicious of Kaito.

' _Aoko doesn't know what to think anymore... If Bakaito was Kid, then he's lied so many times._..'

She sniffed, wiping at her eyes, the prospect of Kaito being Kid hurt. If he was Kid, then why didn't he trust her? She would have understood if he'd explained himself, probably.

' _But then those bad guys were after him.._.'

She thought about how Ran had told her about Shinichi, and how his fear had been one of the main reasons why he'd lied to her so much.

' _Was Kaito scared too? The people who captured him were the people who were after Kid._..'

A small shiver ran through her frame at the thought of what would have happened if they'd known that they'd captured Kid instead of who they thought was a random boy with wings. Would they have killed him? Or would they have physically harmed him instead of being mostly gentle? She shucked off her blanket, she needed to speak to Kaito.

* * *

Ginzo frowned at Aoko's abrupt exit, usually she told him she was leaving when he's home. He glanced out the window to see her stomping over towards Kaito's house and grimaced.

' _I hope things pan out between them._..'

It would be horrible if things didn't.

* * *

"Nakamori-san" Saguru greeted in surprise, having heard the doorbell ring from Kaito's room. Why hadn't she just barged in like usual?

Aoko observed Saguru, the detective had to already know that Kaito was Kid "Aoko needs to speak to Kaito about Kid" She was sick of letting her thoughts on the subject wander, they often left her both tired and upset.

' _Aoko wants to know the truth_ '

The blond was silent for a few moments, taking in the girl's red rimmed eyes "He's in his room" He replied, stepping aside to let the girl in. She didn't seem murderous so he figured that Kaito's life wasn't in any danger yet "I'll wait in the living room" Lying would probably make things worse for them.

She gave him a nod before heading up the stairs, determination filling her person. She wasn't going to let Kaito weasel his way out of this. She gave a loud knock on the bedroom door before pushing her way inside, not bothering to wait for a reply.

Kaito jumped, wings fanning defensively as wide indigos stared at the door "Aoko..." He breathed, allowing his wings to lower "You startled me" He'd been expecting Saguru, the blond didn't enter how Aoko had.

' _Kaito is startled a lot easier now_...'

Aoko was silent for a few moments, noticing that Kaito was using the false eye that he'd mentioned. If she hadn't known that it was false, she wouldn't have believed that it was anything but real "Are you Kid?" She wasn't going to beat around the bush, she'd already waited long enough.

' _Aoko isn't sure if she wants him to admit it or not._..'

The magician sucked in a breath, lowering his head as he avoided eye contact. His wings were trembling. His actions were answer enough "I was" He admitted, having no true reason left besides selfishness to lie to her.

She wanted to yell, to scream, to hit him, to cry at the unfairness of it all, but she didn't. Instead she looked at her friend since childhood with teary eyes, he was shaking and looked like he was going to cry. Her gaze softened "Please give Aoko a good reason not to hate you" Her voice was a lot softer this time as she slowly approached him, sitting down on the edge of the bed "Aoko's so confused" She breathed out.

' _Aoko wants to stay friends, but we cant if she doesn't understand._..'

Kaito swallowed before nodding, clenching his fists "I'll try" His voice was weak, though not due to illness. He'd tell her the truth, it was the least he could do. Hopefully she wouldn't hate him afterwards.


End file.
